The long way home
by aurghhh
Summary: In the aftermath of Alison's return, Emily and Paige have broken up and Hanna has fallen out with Emily. Hanna and Paige turn to each other for support, and find comfort in a new friendship that slowly grows into something more...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **A Panna series, departing from cannon after 5x06. Still in progress, planning 24 chapters

I should mention that this may seem unsympathetic to Emily at times. Please remember that this story is point of view, and we are not seeing Emily's yet. Character opinions are not author opinions.

* * *

><p>Sometimes there is no consolation, while at other times it comes later, unexpectedly. Until it does, though, everything hurts and there is nothing that can be done about it.<p>

Paige had lost Emily. She could see that now. Emily still cared about Paige, but that just made it harder. Paige wanted to enjoy the time they spent together, the afternoons talking at school like old friends, hanging out with Sydney, delicately guiding the conversation away from the subjects which were just too painful. But Paige knew she and Emily couldn't be friends, could never be just friends. They were lovers or they were nothing, as anything in between would always feel wrong.

Paige couldn't even tell herself that Emily had simply fallen out of love with her, as she knew that wasn't true. Emily had decided that it had to end, and Paige could see Emily willing herself to not love her anymore. Sometimes Emily would relax and let her guard down, and look at Paige in the way that she used to, but then she would catch herself and pull back, keeping the wall between them.

Then things changed. Then it became easy.

If Emily had even told Paige herself it would have hurt, but it would have been different. She didn't though. It had to come from Mona.

Mona didn't even have a reason to tell Paige, other than spite. Paige was keeping her distance from Emily after having put herself in danger by divulging names from Mona's group to Emily. It was too small a school to avoid Emily altogether though, and Paige had started to notice. Of course Emily was around Alison a lot, but more than the other girls. Emily didn't look happy, but the way Alison would casually touch Emily while they talked made Paige nervous. Paige told herself she was just imagining it, that Emily would never go back to being Alison's favorite pet.

Then one lunch time, as Paige ate alone, willing herself not to look over to where Emily and Alison were, Mona sat down beside her.

"That seat's taken," Paige said, though they both knew she was lying.

"Isn't new love a wonderful thing," Mona announced.

"What are you talking about?" Paige asked.

"Haven't you heard?" Mona responded. "Emily and Alison are together! It's such a romantic story, Emily is reunited with her first love after and they rekindle their feelings for each other which had lain dormant all this time. I am just so happy for them. Sometimes fairy tales do come true."

Paige felt sick. She stood up, knocking over her plate, and ran for the exit. She could feel every eye on her, but she had to get out.

* * *

><p>Paige didn't have to wait long to hear from Emily. That evening she got a text, and they met outside the McCullers back door.<p>

"You don't owe me any explanation," Paige said. "We're not together anymore, remember?"

"I'm sorry, I should have told you," Emily insisted. "You shouldn't have had to hear it like that."

"Really?" Paige asked, incredulously.

"I… not many people know," Emily explained.

"Everyone knows, Emily," Paige responded. "What did you think would happen? You could start dating Ali and no one would notice?"

Emily looked away. For a moment Paige felt bad. She knew Emily had had to deal with living in the spotlight for so long, she really shouldn't be using that against her.

"I guess I didn't want to hurt you," Emily said.

"You wanted to pretend everything could be OK," Paige responded. "You wanted to go on imagining you could still be friends with me while you were with _her_."

Paige practically spat out the last word.

"Paige, please, it doesn't have to…" Emily began, but Paige cut her off.

"It does, Em, you know that," Paige declared, and that was it.

Emily looked at Paige for a moment, then silently turned and walked away, stooped down, defeated.

Paige watched until Emily was out of site, then slumped down on the chair next to her. For so long she had dreamed of her future with Emily. Even after they had broken up she still held out hope. Surely Emily would see what she was doing, how bad for her Alison was, how much Paige loved her. She imagined Emily remembering their plans to go to Stanford together, remembering the excitement they had both felt.

But Paige knew better now.

It had all been a mirage. Emily would always be special to Paige, and would always be her first love, the girl that had done so much for her, but Emily had made her choice, and Paige needed to accept that.

It was over. It really was all over.

* * *

><p>Over the days and weeks that followed Paige would wake up each morning and think of Emily. Some mornings she would forget, and be happy for just an instant, before it all came back to her.<p>

She tried to tell herself to stop, but she knew she couldn't. Emily had meant too much to her, and she couldn't just let go. She had a whole life ahead of her, a life with Emily, which was gone now. She had dreams which would never become real, scenes she had pictured in her head which would never take place.

There was nothing she could do, but she knew that she had to mourn the future which she was losing before she could begin to create a new one.

* * *

><p>Hanna knew what the problem was, it was Alison. Everything had been fine before she came back. Hanna didn't even know why Ali had to come back, she seemed fine in New York. Hanna would love to live in New York.<p>

But Alison had come back, and now everything was a mess. Spencer was stressing out all the time, Aria was back with Ezra so they hardly saw her anymore, and Emily was all Ali, Ali, Ali. If anyone didn't do what Alison wanted, or even did do what Alison wanted but without Emily's approval, Emily would go apeshit.

Hanna and Emily used to be best friends. If Hanna was being completely honest with herself, she used to have a bit of a crush on Emily. Like, not a full on… well, maybe, yeah. But anyway, since stupid Alison had come back Hanna practically needed permission from Emily to breathe in case it was some sort of problem for Alison.

And if that didn't suck enough, Hanna was single. Travis had dumped her because she kept flaking on him, but even that was really Alison's fault. Yeah, that was totally Ali's fault. Caleb had come back, but he was really weird now. It wasn't just the facial hair, he was all dark and brooding and stuff. Hanna missed him, but they just weren't clicking this time.

Now, Hanna had never been as obsessed with her boyfriends as someone like Aria was, but they were useful at times, like if you needed to complain about your friends. Hanna's was using her mom for this, but there were so many things she couldn't tell her, and she was pretty sure her mom was getting suspicious at the number of times Hanna had to say "Ah, nothing, don't worry". Anyway, after a while her mom would just roll her eyes and say "Hanna" in that tone of voice that Hanna knew meant to shut up.

Boyfriends were good for other things too, like hanging out, being drinking buddies, and fucking, all of which Hanna needed at the moment. Urgh, being single was so stupid, almost as stupid as arguing with your friends.

Why did they let Alison ruin everything like this? Why were they even helping her? If Emily hadn't got in the way Alison could have been off to who knows where by now and everything would have been better. All Alison gave them was drama and snarks, and her insults weren't even funny anymore. They should be making Alison grovel and beg for forgiveness. That would be really cool. After what she had done to them, they may as well get something out of it. Instead Emily was all "Stop picking on her, she said she's sorry", like yeah Em, that totally makes up for everything.

Sure, A was a pain in the ass, but A hadn't put them all at each others' throats like Alison had. Hanna had decided she would rather face A by herself then deal with any more of Ali's shit. As it turned out, though, as Hanna started to withdraw from the rest of the group, A was less of a problem for her.

Hanna was lonely though. The only people who she could talk to, who knew about what she was going through, would just yell at her and treat her like an idiot. Or they were evil, like Mona. Shit, Hanna even missed Mona.

This was getting serious. She needed to do something.

* * *

><p>"Hey," Paige said.<p>

"Hey," Hanna responded.

They were sitting across the table from each other in the furthest coffee shop from The Brew that Hanna could find while still in Rosewood. The last thing she wanted was Emily walking in. God, that would be just her luck too.

"So, how's it going?" Paige asked.

"Good," Hanna replied, nodding.

This was weird though. Hanna liked Paige, but they had never been good friends. It seemed like a good idea, but now that she was having a coffee with her former best friend's ex-girlfriend, not to mention a friend of her ex-boyfriend, it seemed like less of a good idea. As in, not actually a good idea at all.

"You can tell Emily I'm OK," Paige announced.

"What?" Hanna asked.

"Hanna, you suddenly call me out of the blue and want to catch up, I mean it's pretty obvious," Paige explained. "I know Em feels uncomfortable, and it's nice that she's thinking of me, but you can tell her I'm doing OK. I'm getting on with my life now and she doesn't need to worry about me."

Oh. It did kind of look like that, didn't it? Shit.

"No, that's not it," Hanna protested.

"Emily didn't send you?" Paige asked.

"No," Hanna insisted.

"She's not worried about me?" Paige asked.

"I don't know," Hanna responded. She was always relieved when she could answer a question honestly.

"What do you mean?" Paige asked. "Hasn't she said anything?"

"I don't know," Hanna replied. "I haven't seen her much recently."

Paige looked a little puzzled. Hanna decided she'd better come clean.

"Look, you think Alison is a bitch, right?" Hanna asked.

"I think she's a bully, there's a difference," Paige replied.

"Whatever," Hanna continued. "The thing is, she and Emily are together now, and you don't get Emily without Ali. I mean, even if Ali isn't there Emily's all snappy and strung out. It's so annoying."

"Are you and Em fighting or something?" Paige asked, clearly concerned.

"We're not anything," Hanna answered.

Paige was crestfallen.

"You two were best friends," Paige pointed out.

"Not anymore," Hanna said. "Not since _she_ came back to town."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Paige said. "But there's nothing I can do. Like I told Mona, I'm not going to…"

"I'm not asking you to do anything," Hanna assured her. "I just need a friend right now, someone who understands. Someone like you."

"Of course, of course," Paige responded. "I'm here for you."

Hanna realized her hand was shaking. She must have been more nervous than she'd expected. Paige reached out and gently took her hand, holding it until Hanna calmed down. It was a relief.

"Thank you," Hanna said.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Thank you for the reviews. I can't really respond without giving spoilers, but I appreciate the feedback.

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><p>Paige's friends were nerds, but they were pretty nice, and they all hated Alison, so Hanna liked them. They were all sitting around the McCullers lounge room talking about, well, who else?<p>

"So she's seriously still making comments about your weight?" Caitlin asked, appalled at another one of Hanna's stories about Alison.

"Yep, she sure is," Hanna confirmed.

"You should punch her in the face," Chelsea suggested.

"Absolutely," Caitlin agreed. "I will if you want."

"Don't tempt me," Hanna admitted. Still, she was liking Paige's friends more and more.

"You totally should," Caitlin said.

"Ah, Caitlin, remember our chat the other day about how violence doesn't solve anything?" Brian asked.

"I remember it," Caitlin conceded. "I just choose to ignore it."

"You could drop a bucket of slime on her head," Chelsea proposed. "That wouldn't be violent."

"Guys!" Paige interrupted sharply. "Can we change the subject?"

Hanna could see that Paige wasn't enjoying this as much the rest of them were, which was pretty weird, really. But she was here for Paige, so she did her best to be serious, however funny Chelsea's slime idea was. It's always the quiet ones.

The room was quiet for a moment. Then another moment. Everyone looked from one person to another.

Hanna shook her head. This is what her life had come to, she was so obsessed with Alison that she had nothing to talk about except how much she hated her.

Well, she'd come here to make new friends, so she was going to do it.

"So, you guys are all geeks, right?" Hanna asked.

Hanna caught Paige rolling her eyes, while the others burst out laughing.

What?

"But I mean, you are," Hanna continued. "Do you all, like, read comic books and stuff?"

"Hanna…" Paige began, but before she could say anything else Brian cut in.

"Actually I do," he said. "I have for years."

"Cool," Hanna said. "I've started reading crime novels this year. Like I don't have enough of that already."

"What sort of stuff?" Caitlin asked.

"Well, I've gotten in to some Scandinavian authors recently," Hanna replied. "I mean, it makes sense. It's always dark and cold there, and people have lots of sex, so it's the perfect setting."

"Absolutely," Caitlin agreed. "Plus they've got all that time to write when they're snowed in."

"Yeah, it's just fun working out the mysteries and why people do it," Hanna added. "I loved it. Emily just thought I was stupid, though."

Hanna had a flashback to how proud she'd been, how she thought Emily would be happy for her. Instead all she got was snide comments. Emily used to care about Hanna. The old Emily did. The new Emily just thought that everything Hanna did was wrong.

It took Hanna a little while to realize she was crying.

"Hey, Han," Paige said softly, placing her hand on Hanna's shoulder.

"Sorry," Hanna said.

Hanna wasn't even that sad about it, more pissed off. She wanted Emily back, but she knew it wasn't going to happen any time soon, not while Emily was busy grovelling at Alison's feet. Now she was just feeling super awkward, blubbering in front of a bunch of people she'd only just met.

She knew looks were being exchanged, and she could hear people getting up and leaving.

Soon she and Paige were alone.

"God, I shouldn't be complaining about this to you, but I miss Em," Hanna said.

"I understand completely," Paige assured her. "She was your best friend. That's a real loss."

"Yeah, but you were her girlfriend," Hanna responded. "I should be the one looking after you."

"Hanna, please don't think your friendship was any less important just because it was a friendship," Paige pleaded. "You loved her, too."

"Yeah," Hanna agreed. "We weren't fucking, though."

Hanna started laughing at her own joke, and Paige, after a moment of confusion, joined in. Hanna was actually pretty pleased with herself. Random comments rarely failed her, and that was a good one.

* * *

><p>Hanna heard Spencer before she saw her, arguing on the phone, probably with one of her parents. Hanna watched and waited until she was finished. As smug and annoying as Spencer could be, Hanna still missed her.<p>

Hanna had been spending the afternoon at the Rosewood Mall, catching up on her shopping, but her heart wasn't in it. When even clothes weren't working for her she knew something was wrong.

"Hanna, it's… good to see you," Spencer said once she was off the phone.

"Hey, you," Hanna replied, doing her best to act cheerful. "I'm just purveying the latest fashions."

Whenever she saw one of the others Hanna was always happy and getting on with her life. No regrets.

"Surveying," Spencer corrected. "If you were purveying you would be selling, not buying."

Hanna rolled her eyes extra hard at that one.

"But that's probably not important right now," Spencer added.

"No," Hanna agreed. Spencer was learning. Maybe.

"Hey, did you want to come over tonight?" Spencer asked.

"What's the occasion?" Hanna asked.

"Nothing," Spencer replied. "The others are coming around. I just thought it might be nice for us to all get together again."

Spencer's voice sounded weird. She didn't have that "I'm in charge" sound she usually did.

"Is this Alison's idea?" Hanna asked.

"We thought…" Spencer began.

"She spoke, you obeyed," Hanna snapped. "Even Spencer Hastings is just Ali's little lap dog now."

Spencer leaned in.

"Hanna, the police are asking questions," Spencer whispered. "We need to agree on what we're saying."

"You agree all you like," Hanna responded. "Leave me out of it."

"You're a part of this too," Spencer insisted. "And if we…"

"If we keep doing everything Ali says we'll end up in an even bigger mess that we are now," Hanna interrupted. "Do you even remember how to think for yourself?"

For a moment Spencer looked hurt. It flashed across her face for an instant, before the Hastings mask reasserted itself. Hanna almost felt guilty. Almost.

* * *

><p>"You were going to be my excuse," Hanna said.<p>

Paige felt a little nervous. They were in her room, Hanna sitting on the chair, Paige on the bed. Paige had had a busy week, and an intense training session that evening, and she really just wanted a quiet night, but Hanna needed to be with someone, if only show the others.

"Don't worry," Hanna assured her, obviously reading her feelings. Paige knew she needed to work on her poker face, but Hanna seemed to always be able to see through her. "Now I can save you for a special occasion."

"They know we're friends now," Paige pointed out. For the past week the two of them had been hanging out together at school, along with Paige's other friends, and she knew the others had seen them.

Hanna just smiled. The smile she would get when she was pleased with herself.

"So that means we have to have fun, right?" Hanna suggested. "I wanna rub their noses in it."

"Fun?" Paige asked, not sure how they were supposed to be having fun.

"Yeah, while the others are all over at Spencer's receiving their instructions, we'll have a good time," Hanna explained.

"Um, I guess we could go somewhere," Paige half-heartedly suggested. "I don't know, is there a movie you wanted to see?"

"You mean like a date?" Hanna responded excitedly.

Paige made to reply, but no words came out. A date? She guessed Hanna was joking, but what should she say? Should she go along with it? What if Hanna took it the wrong way? But then Hanna had started it. And why was she panicking?

Hanna just gave her a grin.

"You're blushing!" she proclaimed triumphantly.

"I… you…" Paige began, but then shook her head and gave up.

"It's OK," Hanna said. "We can just hang out here."

With that, Hanna bounded up onto the bed next to Paige.

Now Paige was worried about how it would look if her parents saw them.

"I'm having fun already," Hanna said.

As much as Paige could see that embarrassing her was keeping Hanna entertained, she was still concerned about Hanna's conversation with Spencer.

"You're not worried?" Paige asked.

"About what?" Hanna responded.

"The police," Paige said.

"Nope," Hanna replied.

"OK," Paige responded.

Hanna was a terrible liar, but Paige pretended to believe her. She was used to this from dating Emily.

Paige felt sorry for Emily, losing a friend as good as Hanna because of Alison. Maybe Emily really was in love, but to Paige she looked more like someone who had stumbled into a briar patch and couldn't get herself out, Alison's lies gripping on to her like thorns, always pulling her back in. It wasn't just Emily either, they all trapped. Hanna may have been sad, but she seemed relieved as well, and Paige could understand why.

Hanna looked up at Paige.

"Should I tell the truth?" she asked.

"It's up to you," Paige replied.

"If I do I might get us all in trouble," Hanna noted. "But then if I don't and the cops find out anyway we'll look even worse. And if I tell the truth and they lie, which they will because Queen Ali will tell them to, then I'll be the bad guy."

"I know," Paige said. "I've been there. What would you do if it was just you?"

Hanna pondered for a minute.

"Tell them everything," she eventually replied.

"Why?" Paige asked.

"Because it's the right thing to do," Hanna answered. "People are dead, and A's still after the others, and we're getting nowhere. We complain about the police but never tell them anything because we've been so freaked out for so many years and we're too scared. We've got to face it, we've tried to fix this all by ourselves and it's never worked. Never."

Hanna paused for breath. Paige was surprised at how strident Hanna's response was, and Hanna looked a bit shocked at herself too.

"People are dead," Hanna repeated. "Their friends and families deserve answers. Everyone deserves answers."

Hanna looked like she was done now. She was just staring vacantly at the window, which reflected back to her.

As Paige thought about what Hanna had said, she remembered the moment she had dropped the note in the police car. Ever since she had been second guessing her own motives, and Emily's accusations of revenge had made her look deep inside herself. Her feelings at the time were clear, though, and they came back to her now.

There was fear for Emily's safety. There was also sadness for the girl who was buried in Alison's place, the girl who had no name, and sadness for the family who had lost her, never knowing what had happened. But there was something else, a feeling of dread, and the certain knowledge that she would lose Emily.

Paige had confronted Emily, and done it clumsily, but once she knew what Emily knew there was no way back. She had to tell the police, it was the only choice. She knew that Emily would never really understand, though. As the envelope fell in through the car window, Paige said goodbye to the girl she had loved for so long.

"The others will be angry with you," Paige pointed out.

"Yeah," Hanna agreed, already resigned to what was to come.

"I'll be there for you," Paige said. "I'll be with you, whatever you need."

"I can't drag you into this," Hanna protested. "It's my mess, not yours."

"Right now you don't have anyone else," Paige countered. "I can't let you go through this alone."

Hanna slumped down against Paige's shoulder. Paige wanted to give Hanna a hug, but felt uncomfortable about it, and in any case her arm was now stuck between the two of them. She wriggled a little to try to get it free, but Hanna was motionless, lost in her thoughts. Eventually Paige was able to extract her arm, which she then tentatively placed around Hanna's shoulders.

Hanna gratefully sank into the space at Paige's side, sheltering there. All Paige wanted to do was make Hanna feel safe, but they both knew what she would have to go through before that could happen. It was going to be tough


	3. Chapter 3

_Paige supports Hanna as she prepares to talk to the police._

**A/N: **I guess I should mention that as this story departs from cannon midway through 5A, a lot of the events leading up to 5x12 don't happen here. The Zack incident did, however, and gets a reference in this chapter. Quite a few of the character arcs are different from cannon, eg Paige, Hanna, Emily, Alison, Ezra, Mona etc etc. Caleb pretty much drops out (though he may turn up later) and obviously Paily, Emison and Haleb go quite differently.

I'm also being deliberately vague about what's happening with Emily, Aria, Spencer and Alison. As this is all from Paige and Hanna's point of view, I'm only going to include what they know. Finally, this story is going to go into the central mystery (ie A and all that) far more than most of my stories.

* * *

><p>Hanna knew she was getting herself stressed, but there wasn't much she could do about it. She had to tell someone, and all in all Spencer was the least worst option. Hanna couldn't bear Emily telling her off again, and she could barely talk to Aria these days.<p>

The phone was ringing.

Urgh, this was so annoying. She knew what Spencer would say. They all had to stick together, they can't trust the police, if they tell them anything it will get used against them, blah blah blah. Hanna was just sick of this. She would rather go to jail then put up with any more of this. Well, actually she wouldn't, but whatever.

Come on, Spencer, answer.

Of course sticking together just meant doing what Ali said. It used to mean doing what Spencer said, which wasn't as bad for some reason. Maybe because it was easier for Hanna to just do what she wanted anyway with Spencer. Alison was different. Alison always found a way to get back at her if she didn't obey.

God, she hated Alison.

That was it, she hated Alison.

Hanna had worked hard to find Ali when Emily was just freaking out, Spencer was pill popping and Aria was screwing the English teacher again. And she had done it because she stupidly thought that they'd find Ali, she'd tell them everything, then this would all be over. Even the others had said it would all be over.

But like, yeah, sure, Alison was going to tell them everything.

As if.

Answer the damn phone, Spencer.

"Oh, hey Hanna," came Spencer's voice from the other end of the line.

Oh, shit.

"Look, you can't stop me, OK, I'm going to do it, and it's my decision, like, you can all do what you want but this is up to me, OK," Hanna announced.

"What are you talking about?" Spencer responded. "Stop you from doing what?"

"Oh, sorry," Hanna said. "I got my self a little worked up."

"Why don't you start again?" Spencer suggested.

"I'm going to tell the cops," Hanna explained. "Everything. Like we said when we got off the bus, but never did because _someone_ decided to change plans."

There was a pause for a moment. Hanna knew Spencer was just choosing which tone of voice to lecture her in.

"All right, that's your choice," Spencer finally said.

Then silence.

"What?" Hanna replied. "Your not going to tell me off?"

"Like I said, it's your choice," Spencer repeated. "Thank you for letting us know."

Hanna had been practicing all her arguments and justifications, but she wasn't ready for this.

"Look, I just think that we need to…" Hanna began.

"You don't have to explain yourself to me," Spencer cut in.

"I said I'm going to…" Hanna said.

"I know, you're going to tell the police," Spencer interrupted.

What was going on here? Spencer wasn't usually passive-aggressive. Spencer was always aggressive-aggressive.

"OK then," Hanna said. "Bye, I guess."

"Bye," Spencer said.

* * *

><p>Not everyone was so understanding.<p>

"Is this your way of getting back at me?" Aria demanded, her face too close to Hanna's for comfort.

Hanna stepped back, so Aria stepped forward. Hanna tried to step back again, then realized she was up against the wall.

Aria was pretty intimidating for someone so tiny.

"No it's not," Hanna insisted. "I'm just trying to do the right thing."

"Yeah, by getting me sent to jail," Aria protested in a voice as loud as she could get while still whispering. They were in public after all.

This had all started when Hanna had decided to go up the street. She was pretty stressed out about things, and had decided a nice walk, and maybe a donut, would do the trick. What she hadn't counted on was running into Aria, which had just been tipped off by Spencer about Hanna's plans.

"You're not going to jail, Aria," Hanna tried to reassure her.

"What, killing someone isn't against the law anymore?" Aria countered. "I'm sorry, I must have missed that."

"It was self defense," Hanna reminded her. "And anyway, she only fell six feet. You weren't trying to kill her, you just got lucky."

The look on Aria's face told Hanna she wasn't quite up to joking about it yet. She leaned in even closer, so that Hanna was now cowering against the wall.

"The cops around here have been looking for an excuse to lock us up ever since they found Ali's body," Aria reminded her. "And now you're going to give them one."

"They didn't find Ali's body, duh," Hanna pointed out. "That's the problem. No one knows what the hell's going on."

"Well, once we're all in jail, you'll have a lot of time to figure it all out," Aria said.

"We're not going to jail," Hanna insisted, but she could see it was pointless. Aria was scared and not listening.

"Are you still that angry at me?" Aria asked. "You'd put yourself in danger just to see me locked up?"

"I'm not angry at you," Hanna said.

"I said I was sorry," Aria pointed out. "We didn't know."

"You could have just believed me," Hanna protested. "You were sorry that you were wrong about him, not that you went straight to 'Let's blame Hanna'. It was his fault. OK?"

Hanna could feel herself heating up. Damn, maybe she was still angry, but she had a right to be. Instead of sticking together Aria had made it Hanna's fault that her mom's boyfriend was a creep.

"I didn't…" Aria began.

"Look, whatever, I don't care," Hanna interrupted. "This isn't about that. This is about me being sick of all the lies and the secrets and of Alison having us all running around chasing our tails like demented cats. I'm just sick of it."

Aria's face was contorted, her eyes red and watery. Hanna didn't even know if Aria had heard anything she was saying.

"I didn't know," Aria repeated, more quietly this time.

She was crying now.

Hanna felt terrible.

"Please, Aria, I promise," Hanna said. "You'll be OK."

Hanna reached out to Aria, but Aria pushed her away, then turned and walked off.

* * *

><p>It was Hanna's mom who answered the door.<p>

"Hi Paige," Ashley said. "Come on in."

"Thank you, Mrs Marin," Paige said as she went inside and followed Ashley down the hall into the kitchen.

Hanna was sitting at the table looking stunned.

"Hey, are you OK?" Paige asked.

"Stupid lawyers," Hanna muttered.

"If you're going to go ahead with this, you need a lawyer," Ashley insisted. "It's a basic precaution."

While neither of them had any hint of anger in their voices, Paige still got the feeling that she had walked into the wake of an argument. She sat down next to Hanna, but Hanna just stared at the table in front of her.

"Will you be OK?" Paige asked.

"I guess we'll find out tomorrow," Hanna replied.

Paige looked at up Ashley.

"There is some risk," Ashley explained. "The lawyers said it depends on how the police decide to go, but Hanna and the others have broken some laws, even if there's no evidence of anything major. We've prepared a strategy in case."

"So if I'm not back for dinner then get me some make up that goes with orange," Hanna added.

"I'll come in with you," Paige said without hesitation.

"No, you should stay away," Hanna responded. "We don't want you locked up too."

"Please," Paige begged.

"You can't come in to the interview," Ashley explained. "You'd just be waiting outside anyway."

"But I could still be there," Paige countered.

Hanna finally looked up at Paige. She didn't say anything, but her eyes were silently pleading for Paige to come.

The both looked over at Ashley.

"It's up to you, Paige," Ashley said, "but if you do come then don't let the police talk to you. You're just there to support your friend. Whatever they say, just tell them that you're here for Hanna."

"OK," said Paige. "I understand."

Ashley look appreciative, but concerned.

"I think I need a rest," she said to Hanna. "I'll be upstairs if you need anything."

"Thanks, mom," Hanna said.

"You can thank me by not getting arrested," Ashley replied as she left the room.

Once her mom was gone, Hanna spoke.

"I just told her," Hanna explained. "If I'm going to tell the cops tomorrow I needed to tell her first."

"Everything?" Paige asked.

"Everything," Hanna confirmed.

Paige reached out and gently squeezed Hanna's hand.

"How did she take it?" Paige asked.

"I think she's a bit freaked," Hanna replied. "I could tell she was angry that I hadn't told her sooner, but she didn't want to show it."

Paige could see how hard it would be for Hanna's mom, hearing all this for the first time, finally knowing what Hanna had been through, and knowing that she hadn't been able to protect her daughter when she was in danger.

Paige couldn't say any of this though. The last thing Hanna needed was to feel guilty.

"She loves you," Paige said.

"I know," Hanna agreed. "I'm just so frickin' scared, though."

"I'm here for you," Paige assured her. "Like I said, you're not going through this alone."

Hanna reached out and hugged Paige, and Paige hugged her back.

"I chose well, didn't I?" Hanna said.

"What do you mean?" Paige asked.

"When I picked you as a new friend," Hanna explained.

Paige didn't know what to say. She wished she could do more, and she certainly didn't think she could make up for the friends Hanna had lost. Hanna was brave, but she didn't deserve this, and she shouldn't have been ostracized for telling the truth. Paige just wanted to tell Hanna that she would make things better, and everything would be alright.

"Thank you," was what Paige said instead.

Hanna pulled back a little from the hug and looked at Paige's face.

"You're blushing," she said, smiling through tears.

* * *

><p>It was morning and they were all waiting at the Rosewood Police Station. Hanna was there with her mom, a lawyer, and Paige. Her useless dad hadn't shown up, of course. Probably had to help find Isabel some more newt for her potions.<p>

Hanna was so nervous though. Her stomach was less like butterflies and more like bees. She was a dizzy too, like she'd had too much to drink. Speaking of which…

"I need to go pee," she announced.

"Again?" Ashley asked.

"Unless you want me to go in the interview room," she replied as she headed for the bathroom.

Inside was a bit grimy, but she was getting used to it. She picked a cubicle, but as she sat there nothing happened. She felt like she needed to go, but it seemed she didn't.

She idly looked around, and it occurred to her that actual criminals had been in here. Maybe they'd stashed some money or drugs or something. She inspected the walls around here, searching for crevices or anything like that, but struck out.

Oh well.

She stood up, fixed her clothes and flushed. It was all a bit pointless, but at least it was something to do.

She washed her hands and went back outside.

As she emerged, there they were.

"Ah, Hanna," Lieutenant Tanner said. "Our apologies for the wait. We're ready now."

Tanner led Hanna and the others through in silence. As Hanna followed, she looked back to Paige, who gave her a thin smile, even as the rest of her face was saying she wanted to jump up and rescue Hanna, drag her away from there.

Then the door closed, and Hanna was alone. There were other people in the room, but no one who understood her, and what she had been through.

They all sat down, Hanna's mom on one side, her lawyer on the other, and Tanner and Holbrook across the table. The others went through a bunch of legal stuff, but all Hanna wanted to do was vomit. She had never been this scared before.

"Hanna, do you understand all of that?"

Hanna nodded.

"So," Tanner began. "Tell me what happened in New York."


	4. Chapter 4

_Hanna goes in for her interview with the police._

**A/N:** First of all, thank you for all your lovely comments in the reviews. I'm a Paily shipper, but Panna has a special spot in my heart as well. I'm glad other people are enjoying the story.

* * *

><p>Paige hadn't anticipated how hard the waiting would be. It had been over two hours, just sitting on a bench, glancing at a closed door. She knew she could go, but she wanted to be there when Hanna came out.<p>

Eventually the door did open, Paige sat up, ready, but only one person emerged - Lieutenant Tanner.

At first Tanner ignored Paige, and instead went over to talk to a colleague, but once that was done she came back to where Paige was sitting.

"Your friend is doing the right thing," Tanner said, doing her best to act relaxed and casual, but Paige knew enough to be nervous and said nothing.

"Can I get you a drink at all, while you wait?" Tanner offered. "She may be a while yet."

"No, thank you," Paige responded.

"Was this your idea?" Tanner asked. "I know you've helped us in the past."

How did she know that? Had Hanna mentioned it? It seemed unlikely. Maybe… it didn't matter anyway.

"I'm just here to support her," Paige replied.

"Are you and Hanna dating now?" Tanner asked.

"No," Paige replied.

"You seem very dedicated to her," Tanner observed.

"She needs a friend right now," Paige explained.

"I guess she would," Tanner responded. "You know, what Hanna needs most of all is for the truth to come out. All of it. We can end all these games, all these secrets, all these lies, and then she can get on with her life. I know you're trying to do the right thing for her, so if there's anything you can tell us…"

"No," Paige said, cutting the detective off abruptly. As much as Paige really did want it all over, she knew Tanner as trying to catch her off guard.

"Nothing you know about New York?" Tanner added.

New York?

Paige instinctively looked at the detective in surprise.

"Ah, you didn't know," Tanner deduced.

"Who was in New York?" Paige asked.

"Hanna, Spencer, Aria and Emily," Tanner replied. "That's where they met Alison."

"They met Alison in Philly," Paige corrected her.

"They really didn't tell you," Tanner said. "Emily lied to you about all of this."

"We didn't really talk about it," Paige explained.

"That's strange," Tanner noted.

"Emily and I broke up earlier that night," Paige elaborated. "We haven't talked about much since then."

Paige realized she had been taken in by Tanner, and was answering questions where she hadn't intended to do so. And unlike Hanna, she hadn't come prepared.

"You must have been sad when you heard about Shana," Tanner said. "I hear the two of you dated at one stage."

What did Shana have to do with it?

"A little," Paige admitted. "We weren't together for very long."

"She was just a fill in, then," Tanner suggested.

"I guess," Paige replied.

"How did she and Emily get along?" Tanner asked.

That was it.

"I'm not saying anything else," Paige said.

"It's all such a tangle though," Tanner continued. "You dated Emily, then you dated Shana, then Emily again, now Emily is dating Alison, who was friends with Shana…"

Shana and Alison were friends?

Paige knew her face was giving her away, but she couldn't help herself.

"You didn't know that either?" Tanner observed. "And it's such a coincidence that the very night they all meet up with Alison, Shana is found dead in the Fitzgerald Theatre, New York."

Paige was reeling. This was all too much to take in. They were in New York that night when Shana was killed? It must have been A? But why wouldn't they tell? Alison, of course, but why would she cover up Shana's death if Shana was her friend?

"I'll leave you in peace now," Tanner said, knowing full well she had done the opposite.

* * *

><p>Hanna kept waiting for them to put her in handcuffs and take her away, but they never did. They just asked lots of questions. Like lots. Who did this? What were they doing there? How did they get hold of that? What kind of snake? Like Hanna was supposed to know any of this.<p>

They kept going off track too. Why did they even care about Ezra so much, he had nothing to do with it. This was one of the things she had warned the lawyer guy she wasn't going to talk about, so every time they asked about it he was like "My client does not wish to discuss that matter", which was pretty cool. The other no go was the Jenna thing, but the cops didn't really go there.

Most of all, it was exhausting. Why couldn't it happen quickly, like on TV?

Hanna tried to work out which one of them was the good cop, and which one was the bad cop. After a while she decided they were both just the annoying cop. Anyway, neither of them could compete with Wilden as a bad cop.

For a while Tanner went outside, which made Hanna worry about Paige. She hoped Paige would keep her mouth shut. It was Hanna's job to blab.

Then it was suddenly all over.

"Thank you for your cooperation," Holbrook announced. "We may be in touch if we have more questions."

"And feel free to call if there is anything else you would like to tell us," Tanner added.

"So that's it?" Hanna asked. "I can go?"

"You can go," Tanner confirmed.

There was a bit more talk between the cops and the lawyer, but Hanna wasn't paying attention. She just wanted to get outside.

Once they opened the door, she rushed out.

Paige was still there. She had been waiting all this time. She looked up, clearly relieved.

"Han, are you OK?" Paige asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Hanna replied.

"Come on, Paige, we'll take you home," Ashley said.

As they walked out, Paige leaned close to Hanna.

"Tanner said some things," Paige whispered. "About Shana."

"Oh God, she would," Hanna responded. "I was worried she'd try to freak you out."

Paige didn't say anything, but Tanner had obviously succeeded. Damn cops, you try to help them and they just want more.

"Paige, can I tell you later?" Hanna asked. "I'm really sorry, but I've just gone through this whole thing with my mom, with the lawyer and now with the police…"

"I understand," Paige said.

* * *

><p>The call came in from Emily. Paige had expected this, but she still wasn't sure whether to answer.<p>

She did.

"Was this your idea?" Emily demanded.

"No, it was Hanna's," Paige replied, not wanting to deflect blame, but rather to give credit.

"But you supported her," Emily responded.

"Yes," Paige agreed.

"She knew Spencer and Alison had been arguing, didn't she?" Emily said. "That's why she called Spencer."

"What?" Paige responded. "How would she know that? She's barely seen any of you in weeks."

"No she hasn't, and while we're here trying to figure out who tried to kill Ali, and still with A after us I might add, she just walks away and doesn't care anymore," Emily said accusingly.

"This hasn't been easy for her," Paige protested. "She agonized over it, but she did it because this might actually get us somewhere."

"So you knew, but you didn't try to stop her?" Emily said.

"No," Paige replied. "Why should I?"

"Because she's wrecked everything," Emily answered angrily. "Everything we've been working hard to keep secret is now out in the open, and Alison is in even more in danger than ever."

"So you think Hanna needs someone to keep her under control?" Paige asked.

"Obviously," Emily replied. "If she's going to keep doing stupid…"

"You still think she's stupid, don't you?" Paige interrupted, feeling herself getting angry now.

"No, I said…" Emily began, but Paige didn't want to listen.

"Look at yourselves, still at Alison's beck and call," Paige said. "I didn't stop Hanna because I respect her, and because she did the right thing."

There was silence for a moment.

"You would think she did the right thing," Emily said, quietly now. "Anything so Alison…"

Paige hung up.

* * *

><p>"You're mad, aren't you?" Hanna said.<p>

"No, I'm not mad," Ashley replied.

"You are, I can tell," Hanna insisted.

"No, I just… I wish you'd told me sooner," Ashley explained. "But I'm proud of you for what you did today."

"Thanks, mom," Hanna said. "And thanks for being there for me."

"It's my job," Ashley explained. "A very _busy_ job at times, but definitely worth it."

"It was nice of Paige to come too, wasn't it?" Hanna said.

"It was," Ashley agreed. "At least you've got one friend standing by you."

"She's been so amazing," Hanna said. "She's just the best friend ever."

"That's high praise," Ashley noted.

"She's so supportive," Hanna explained. "And she's fun to be around. I'd have been so miserable after the others dumped me…"

"They might…" Ashley began, but Hanna kept talking.

"Not after today," she said. "Like, I mean, no amount of ice cream would have got me through that. But having Paige has been awesome. She's really funny, too. And did I tell you she can skate?"

"Quite the renaissance woman," Ashley observed. Hanna could see her mom kind of smirking.

"The what?" Hanna asked.

"The renaissance woman," Ashley repeated.

"They didn't have skating back then," Hanna pointed out. Her mom said the weirdest things sometimes.

"How did they survive?" Ashley asked.

"Skating is good," Hanna insisted. "Just because you're too old."

"Maybe I could try," Ashley suggested. "You could tell all your friends you've got the coolest mom in Rosewood."

"Um, have you been drinking?" Hanna asked. "Anyway, where was I?"

"Talking about Paige," Ashley reminded her.

"Yeah, that's right," Hanna resumed. "It's just made me happy having a new friend. Like, I should be all pissed off at everything, but I'm just looking forward to seeing her."

Her mom had that smirk again.

"What's funny?" Hanna demanded.

"Nothing, I'm just glad you're happy," Ashley replied, her face softening a little. "You should invite her over. We could give her a thank-you dinner."

"Great idea!" Hanna exclaimed. "I'll give her a call. Thanks mom!"

* * *

><p>Paige's heart jumped a little when the phone rang, but when she saw it was Hanna she relaxed.<p>

"Hey, Han," she said.

"Hey, Paige," came the voice at the other end.

"How are you doing?" Paige asked.

"That was so scary," Hanna replied. "I am never doing that again. I don't care if we catch Jack the Ripper, never again. They didn't even have cookies or anything."

"You did the right thing," Paige assured her.

"Do you think they'll arrest me?" Hanna asked.

"No, they let you go, didn't they?" Paige replied.

"Yeah, that's what I thought, but then I thought, like, what if they're trying to catch me off guard," Hanna said.

"I think you'll be OK," Paige said. "There are real criminals out there they need to catch, and you're the one who's actually helping them."

"What about the others?" Hanna asked.

Paige had to think for a moment. Maybe not the girls, but Mona and Ezra were possibilities.

"How much did you tell them?" Paige asked.

"Most of it," Hanna replied. "I left out pretty much everything with Ezra, plus Toby joining the A team, and Spencer, and the Jenna thing. They kept asking about Ezra though, like they suspect him or something."

"You're worried about that?" Paige asked.

"Aria already hates me," Hanna explained. "If I get her boyfriend thrown in jail…"

"I know," Paige said. "But it won't be because of you."

"Yeah, but she doesn't know that," Hanna pointed out.

"We'll just have to see how it goes," Paige said. She was getting nervous now. She wanted to let Hanna talk, but she had her own questions she needed answers to. "Hanna, I have to ask about Shana."

"Oh yeah, um, shit," Hanna began. "Did Tanner tell you we were in New York?"

"Yes, she did," Paige confirmed.

"I'm sorry, Paige," Hanna said. "Shana, like… kind of tried to kill us."

Hanna's words hit Paige with a jolt. The Shana she knew wasn't a killer. She had dated this girl. Paige didn't want to hear the rest of this story, but she knew she had to.


	5. Chapter 5

_Paige and Hanna deal with the fallout from Hanna's police interview._

**A/N:** Thank you again for all your lovely comments in the reviews.

A quick warning, if you're an Ezria shipper you might want to stop reading now.

* * *

><p>"Are you OK?" Hanna asked.<p>

"I guess so," Paige replied.

Paige wasn't saying much, and Hanna was getting a little weirded out by the silence on the other end of the phone.

"Look, if it makes you feel any better, she probably wasn't crazy when you were dating her," Hanna offered.

Silence.

"It was dating Jenna that did it," Hanna added.

More silence.

"You're freaking, aren't you?" Hanna suggested.

"A bit," Paige admitted.

"Oh God, I'm sorry," Hanna said.

"I did ask," Paige pointed out.

"I know, but… it must suck," Hanna responded. "Do you want me to come over or anything?"

"Thank you, but I think I just need some time by myself," Paige replied.

"OK, but let me know if you need anything," Hanna said.

"I will," Paige promised. "Bye."

"See ya," Hanna said.

As Hanna headed back downstairs, all she could think about was poor Paige. Her dating history was almost as messed up as Emily's. Those two were the best thing that had happened to each other, and now even that was gone. Hanna wished Emily would come to her senses, but there was no sign of _that_ happening any time soon. In the meantime Hanna just wanted to give Paige a big hug. Maybe later.

Hanna arrived back down in the kitchen.

"So can Paige make it?" Ashley asked.

"Urgh, shit, I forgot," Hanna replied, and headed back upstairs.

* * *

><p>The phone rang. Paige's heart jumped again. It was Hanna.<p>

Paige was torn. She wanted to talk to Hanna, but she didn't want to talk to anyone. She wanted to be alone for a while, processing everything she had found out. She wanted to go through every memory she had of her time with Shana and scrutinize it, looking for clues that the relationship was something other than what she had always thought it was. But then maybe it really was a coincidence. Maybe Shana genuinely didn't know who Paige was.

She let the phone ring out.

At the time Shana had seemed like a diversion. That sounded awful as Paige thought it, but she was. Paige was trying to get over Emily, and Shana seemed nice. Paige had never told Emily this, but Shana was always warm and friendly with Paige, until it became too obvious that Paige was still in love with someone else.

Despite how it ended, Paige had taken good memories away from the relationship, and almost convinced herself it was possible, however much she didn't want to accept it, for her to be with someone other than Emily. Later on, as Shana had become more entangled in the mysteries of Rosewood, Paige had started to see their time together in a different light.

This was too much though. Shana was a double-agent, working for both Alison and Jenna? That was strange enough. But that she had crossed the line, and set out to become a murderer. Paige couldn't imagine that. She felt sick at the thought.

Hanna had left a message.

Paige would listen to it in the morning. She was too tired now.

* * *

><p>"Hey Paige, I'm a goose, I totally forgot - we want to invite you over for dinner tomorrow night to say thank you for everything, you know. I hope you can make it."<p>

Paige listened to the message again. Hanna's voice was so chirpy, it made Paige feel better. Hanna was the one who had to spend all of the previous day talking to the police, yet somehow she sounded energized, where Paige had been just drained last night.

Things seemed different in the morning, though. For once, a good night's sleep had actually helped. All those issues cluttering up her mind last night seemed manageable now. She decided to call Hanna back.

"Hey, Paige!" came Hanna's voice, as enthusiastic as the night before.

"I just got your message," Paige explained, which was true.

"Do you want to come over?" Hanna asked.

"Sure that would be great," Paige replied. "What should I bring?"

"Nothing, that's fine," Hanna replied.

"You sure?" Paige asked.

"Yep," Hanna confirmed. "How are you doing today?"

"Not too bad," Paige replied. "Still processing, but getting there. How about you? You must have been exhausted after all that."

"You know, I'm actually feeling good," Hanna replied. "I'm, like, relieved. I mean, I am _not_ looking forward to hearing from the others, but there's not much they can say that they haven't already said, so I'll just not care."

"Yeah," Paige agreed.

"Have you heard from anyone?" Hanna asked.

Paige hesitated. Telling Hanna might get her upset, but then she probably needed to know.

"I got a call from Em last night," Paige replied.

"How was she?" Hanna asked.

"A bit mad," Paige replied.

"I thought she'd be angry with me," Hanna responded. "Defying her precious Alison. Don't worry about it."

"She was actually mad at me," Paige elaborated. "She thought I should have stopped you."

"_What?_" Hanna asked, incredulously.

There was a sudden and very dramatic change in the tone of Hanna's voice. Paige immediately regretted mentioning the call.

"It's OK," Paige assured Hanna. "She'll get over it once she sees…"

"She rang _you_ to tell _you_ off?" Hanna said.

"Yes, but…" Paige began.

"That's it," Hanna interrupted.

"It really doesn't matter," Paige pleaded. "Let it be."

"She can't…" Hanna began.

"No, no…" Paige protested.

"I'll tell her…" Hanna said.

"Hanna, please, don't call her, promise me you won't call her," Paige begged.

There was no reply for a moment.

"Please," Paige implored.

"OK," Hanna said, clearly reluctantly.

"Promise?" Paige asked.

"I promise," Hanna agreed.

"Thank you," Paige said.

* * *

><p>"Listen, Emily, you don't get to go off at Paige just because you're mad at me," Hanna demanded. "It's not her job to tell me what to do, and it's not yours, or Spencer's, or Alison's either."<p>

"Well if you're trying to get us all arrested then I think we might have a say in that," Emily countered.

"Arrested for what?" Hanna asked. "We haven't done anything."

"I'm sorry, have you been asleep for the last two years," Emily responded. "We've done plenty, and A has evidence of all that and more. Now that you've gone blabbing to the cops…"

"You're just worried about your precious little Alison," Hanna accused Emily. "Ever since she got back she's been ordering us to lie about everything and digging us all in deeper and deeper."

"Someone tried to kill her, Hanna," Emily pointed out. "Have you forgotten that? That person is still out there, and now because you're sick of the whole thing you're prepared to put her life in danger, just like Paige was."

"You know what? That's stupid," Hanna countered. "We were the ones who led Shana to Alison which, I might add, was _your_ idea, and now suddenly you think it's your personal responsibility to save the day and be a hero for Alison. Paige tipping the cops off is the only thing any of us has ever done that's actually worked."

"What's this 'we', Hanna?" Emily asked. "You've been nowhere to be seen lately while we've been fighting A, and neither has Paige. I know the two of you don't care about Alison…"

"Or maybe you're not thinking straight," Hanna suggested. "Have you considered that."

"You know what I think, Hanna?" Emily asked. "I think you used to be a friend. You used to be someone I could count on. But you were happy Ali was gone, and now she's back you just want to get rid of her again."

"I was happy without her because she was a total bitch!" Hanna shouted. "And now she's back, guess what? She's still a total bitch! Everyone who isn't currently sleeping with her can see that."

"So, you admit it?" Emily challenged her. "You want to get rid of her?"

"I don't _care_ about Alison, I just want the old Emily back, but it looks like you're modelling yourself on your girlfriend now," Hanna responded.

The line went dead. Emily had hung up.

* * *

><p>The Marin kitchen was a hive of activity, and Paige felt uncomfortable doing nothing.<p>

"Can I help, Mrs Marin?" Paige asked.

"Relax, Paige, we've got it all under control," Ashley replied.

She seemed to be telling the truth, but that didn't make Paige feel any better.

"I could mix the salad," Paige suggested.

"It's all done," Ashley assured her.

"OK then, I could put it on the table," Paige said eagerly, quickly taking the bowl before anyone could protest.

Hanna followed with the fish, and soon they were sitting down and ready to eat.

"This looks lovely," Paige said as she surveyed the meal which had been prepared. "Thank you for inviting me over."

"Thank _you_ for being such a good friend," Hanna responded.

"And a sensible one, I might add," Ashley chipped in.

"It was nothing," Paige said. It was nice that Hanna appreciated her, but she was finding it a little embarrassing.

"It was more than nothing, Paige," Hanna objected. "You helped me go in there, and do it without bawling and throwing up behind the pot plants."

"Hanna!" Ashley sharply exclaimed.

"What?" Hanna asked.

"We're at the table," her mother reminded her.

"Oh, sorry," Hanna responded sheepishly.

"Could I please have the salad dressing?" Paige asked.

"See how polite she is," Hanna said to Ashley as she passed Paige the dressing.

"Makes me wonder where I went wrong," Ashley noted.

"So Paige, if your dad's the church deacon, do you have to say grace and stuff when you eat?" Hanna asked.

"Um yes, but…" Paige replied.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Ashley said. "Would you like to?"

"No, thanks, it's more of a dad thing," Paige explained.

"We came this close, with Pastor Ted," Hanna said.

Her mom shot her a look.

"So, how are your parents?" Ashley asked.

"They're well," Paige replied. "They're both busy, but pretty much just the usual."

"Oh my God, look at your arms," Hanna exclaimed, out of nowhere. "Have you been working out?"

Paige was confused for a moment.

"Just the usual training," Paige replied.

"Look at those muscles, though," Hanna said. "Mom, look!"

Paige had no idea what to say, but nothing seemed the best option.

"Come on, Paige, show us," Hanna added.

"Hanna," Ashley said. "I'm not sure that Paige wants to be gawked at while she's eating her dinner."

"I'm just saying…" Hanna began, before a glare from her mother cut her off.

Paige just focused on her food.

"I think what my daughter is trying to say is how is your swimming going?" Ashley asked.

"It's going well," Paige replied. "We've got another meet coming up soon."

She could feel Hanna's eyes still studying her arms, but she ignored it.

"I believe you're going to Stanford next year," Ashley said.

"Yes," Paige confirmed.

For a moment she felt a twinge of sadness, but it passed. Things would be so different to what she had expected, but they could still be good.

"That's very impressive," Ashley observed. "You must be looking forward to it."

"I am," Paige agreed. "It's… exciting, I guess."

"And you'll get away from this place," Hanna added.

She was right though. Paige just wanted to get away from Rosewood now, and start a new life. It wouldn't be with Emily any more, but it would still be better than staying here.

"Paige, you don't have to answer this if you don't want to, but were you caught up in all this business that's been going on?" Ashley asked.

"A little," Paige replied. "While I was with Em."

"A little?" Hanna responded. "You almost got killed, you saved Spencer, you got accused of being A, you…"

Paige looked over to Ashley and could see her growing increasingly uneasy.

"It's OK now, though," Paige cut in.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," Ashley said.

"Paige was the one who told the cops Ali was alive," Hanna stated. "That's why Emily dumped her."

Paige flinched, but Hanna was so matter-of-fact about it.

Ashley looked shocked though. Paige half expected her to get angry, she was so used to the condemnation by now, but after she had processed the news Ashley relaxed a little.

"I imagine that would have been difficult," Ashley said. "But it was good that you did it. There is finally a proper investigation going on, and this town might actually get back to normal sometime soon, whatever that is."

It was nice to hear people who thought she had done the right thing, but it didn't change the fact that she had lost so many of her dreams for the future because of it. Sometimes being right didn't help.

* * *

><p>When Paige got home her mother looked worried. For a moment she wondered if she had stayed too late, but it was nothing like that.<p>

"Did you hear the news?" Helen asked.

"No," Paige replied.

"It was on the television," Helen explained. "Your English teacher, Mr Fitz… he's been arrested."


	6. Chapter 6

_Ezra's arrest deepens the rift between Hanna and the other liars, with only Paige on her side._

* * *

><p>Hanna was running late, and arrived at school just as classes were starting. She had English first, which meant they would all be there, but she had a plan. Sit as far away from the others as possible, and ignore them. Simple.<p>

As she headed towards the classroom there seemed to be a lot of students still in the corridor, and a lot of talking. Something was going on, but she could worry about that later.

She arrived at class, and headed for the far corner.

She reminded herself not to make eye contact.

Wait, what was Ms Stuart doing up the front?

"Thank you, Hanna," she said as Hanna sat down.

Whatever.

"Now, as you are probably all aware," Ms Stuart began, "Mr Fitz will not be teaching for the foreseeable future, so I will be taking this class. I'm sure you've all got a lot to talk about, and a lot of questions, but right now all discussion will be about Steinbeck."

Hanna couldn't help herself. She looked over to where the other three were sitting, and all she could see was Aria looking back as if she wanted to rip Hanna's throat out.

The class was the longest hour of Hanna's life. Well, fifty minutes. OK, forty-five, but it wasn't her fault she was late. It was long, anyway. Hanna was sure she could feel Aria glaring at her even when they were both looking up at the blackboard. She probably was, too. She was like Spencer; simply being in the same room as her was enough that she could relentlessly judge you.

Hanna was out the door as soon as the teacher let them go, but Aria still caught her in the corridor. Spencer and Emily were close behind.

"What did you tell them?" Aria demanded, bailing Hanna up against the lockers.

"Aria, this may not be the best place," Spencer pointed out.

"Fine," Aria said, grabbing Hanna's arm.

Before she knew what was happening, Hanna found herself being marched into the bathroom.

"What did you tell them?" Aria repeated.

"I told them that Noel took us to meet Alison in New York, that Shana tried to…" Hanna explained.

"What did you tell them about Ezra?" Aria interrupted.

"Nothing," Hanna replied.

"Oh, so it's just a coincidence that the day after you go to the police, Ezra gets arrested?" Aria asked.

"What?" Hanna responded. "Why would they arrest Ezra? He didn't do anything."

"Maybe because someone told them about us, and about…" Aria suggested.

"Wait, I did not tell the cops about you two," Hanna cut in. "What did they arrest him for?"

Hanna looked to Emily and Spencer, who both looked uncomfortable being there.

"We don't know," Spencer answered.

The door opened. Everyone went quiet and Aria backed away from Hanna. Totally inconspicuous. Like, who could possibly guess?

In walked Paige. Hanna wanted to run over and hug her. Maybe she should, it wasn't like it could get more awkward in there. When Paige saw the four of them she froze, though. She stared at them, they stared at her.

Hanna was trying to give her best "please save me" look, and after a moment it worked.

"Han, are you OK?" Paige asked.

"This is nothing to do with you, Paige," Aria snapped, but while Aria was looking at Paige, Hanna shook her head vigorously. Paige took the cue and came over to stand next to Hanna.

"They think I told the cops about Ezra," Hanna explained.

"Do you seriously expect us to believe that you didn't?" Aria asked. "That as soon as they talked to you about everything but Ezra they just happened to go and arrest him?"

"Duh, yes," Hanna replied, rolling her eyes. It was a dumb question anyway.

"How stupid do you think I am?" Aria asked.

"You tell me, how stupid are you?" Hanna responded. She didn't expect this to help, but the look on Aria's face was worth it.

"Hanna…" Spencer began, but Hanna was in no mood to listen.

"No," Hanna interjected. "If you're going to corner me at school and accuse me of doing a bunch of stuff I didn't do, then this is what you get."

"Then who told them, Hanna?" Aria demanded. "If it wasn't you, then who was it?"

"I don't know, A?" Hanna suggested. "Probably trying to make me look bad."

"Guys, it couldn't have been Hanna," Paige cut in. "There's no way they'd arrest him for anything on her word alone, so they must have had something on him since before she spoke to them. That's why they arrested him."

"Paige has a point," Emily agreed.

"One which I made earlier," Spencer added. "Aria, they've asked you about Ezra. They've asked all of us."

Aria looked from one face to another, then stormed out. Spencer and Emily looked briefly at Hanna and Paige, then turned and followed Aria.

Once they were alone, Hanna gave Paige that hug.

"God, thank you," Hanna said. "I think Aria wants to actually murder me."

It took Hanna a moment to realize Paige wasn't hugging her back. She was just standing there, looking stunned. Before Hanna could ask why, however, the door opened again.

"Hey, Hanna and Paige," Bridget said cheerfully.

* * *

><p>Hanna and Paige found an out of the way place to eat their lunch. It was at the far corner of the school, where there was a single table under some trees, with a bench to sit on.<p>

"This is nice," Paige said, as if they were there for a change of scenery rather than to escape the wrath of a tiny girl with terrible fashion sense.

Aria was still on the warpath and Spencer and Emily were following her around like trained attack poodles, so all Hanna wanted to do was avoid the three of them. Alison was nowhere to be seen, for some reason.

How had it got to the point that Hanna was more scared of Aria than A, Alison and the police? Never piss off a short person.

"Thanks for helping me out before," Hanna said.

"That's alright," Paige replied. "They just jumped to conclusions."

"Yeah, like 'Hanna must die'," Hanna said.

"Things will be fine once they calm down a little," Paige reassured her.

"Like they're fine between you and Emily?" Hanna asked. She could see Paige flinch, but it had to be said. "I went to the cops, which they think means I betrayed them. Even if we can prove I wasn't the one who tipped the police off about Mr Fitz they're still not going to forgive me."

"I…," Paige began, before stopping for a moment. "Maybe not."

Hanna had geared herself up for another rant. She'd expected Paige to try to assure her that everything would be OK. She was going to loudly proclaim that things wouldn't be OK, and that she'd be lucky if she didn't have to leave the country.

Now she was confused. Paige had taken her seriously, and hadn't gone "there, there". Damn.

"Thanks," Hanna said.

"I know what it's like to feel like you're on your own," Paige said.

"I don't though," Hanna said.

Things sucked, they really did, but Paige had been so good to her. Like, Hanna had always liked Paige, and thought Emily and Paige were really cute together, but they'd never been really close. But when Alison had turned up and ruined everything then Hanna and Paige had something in common, and they'd become good friends. Hanna was still surprised at how happy their friendship made her.

Hanna just sat there, smiling at Paige. She couldn't help it.

Now Paige was blushing again. That was so adorable.

* * *

><p>It was late in the afternoon and Paige was at her locker when Emily approached.<p>

"Paige, I know you well enough to know that if you think Hanna is right then you'll stick by her," Emily said. "I'm not going to try to change your mind. But however complicated things have become between us, I still think of you as a friend, and so I'm saying this as a friend - please be careful."

"Thanks, but… you too, I guess," Paige replied.

Emily looked at her for a moment like she was going to say something, but she just nodded and gave the faintest of smiles. Neither of them would be careful, they both knew that.

* * *

><p>"Invited around to meet her mom," Caitlin observed, a mischievous grin on her face. "Sounds serious."<p>

"We're just friends," Paige insisted, yet again.

It was after school and Paige was hanging out with her friends in the basement at Brian's, which doubled as his room. Paige was updating them on all the recent dramas, but they seemed most interested in her new friendship with Hanna.

"But you would, wouldn't you?" Caitlin responded.

"I don't even know if she'd be interested," Paige replied.

"That sounds like a 'yes' to me," Caitlin said, triumphantly.

"She could be straight for all I know," Paige added.

"She might be bi or something," Chelsea pointed out.

"You should ask her," Caitlin suggested.

"Sure," said Paige. "I'll just say 'Hey Hanna, are you into girls at all? I'm asking for a friend.' That will work."

"Maybe something a bit more subtle," Chelsea suggested.

"Hey Brian, can you let us in on the bisexual code?" Caitlin asked.

"Um, sure," Brian replied. "You ask her 'Do you like bagels?', and if she replies 'Yes, with salad, _or_ with chicken' then that means she's bi."

Paige shook her head. They were enjoying this.

"Come on, Paige, she's sweet, she's sexy and she clearly adores you," Caitlin argued.

"We don't know…" Paige began.

"She does," Caitlin interjected.

Caitlin often walked a fine line between supportive and pushy, and sometimes she jumped right over it. She didn't quite understand that it was harder for Paige than for her, but Paige didn't get too annoyed. She always wanted Paige to be happy.

"How does Paige always get the hot girls?" Brian asked.

"It's that McCullers swagger," Caitlin replied.

Paige just looked down at the floor. Eventually the conversation would go onto another subject. Eventually.

* * *

><p>Hanna was still awake. Everything that had happened that day was going around in her head. What if she had got Mr Fitz arrested? She hadn't said anything, but maybe she'd provided the crucial clue which allowed them to solve the puzzle. Maybe Tanner or Holbrook was actually one of those eccentric genius detectives, and just the way she described a particular A message had allowed them to deduce that Aria was sleeping with her English teacher. Cool. No, no, it wasn't cool. And anyway, Rosewood PD were hardly known for the extraordinary crime solving skills.<p>

It didn't matter now.

It didn't…

_She was at school again. Well, sort of at school. It was a concert hall, but it was school. Oh my god, there were puppies too. They _were so cute_._ _Hanna knew she needed to find the way out, but the room was locked. She couldn't even find the door handle._

_"Hanna, what did you do with the cherries?" her mom asked. "Jenna wants them."_

_Jenna? She didn't need Jenna._

_"It's OK, she's gone," Paige assured her. _

_It was just the two of them now. Thank God. _

_"I'm glad I found you," Paige said. "I've been looking for you."_

_"I'm glad too," Hanna replied. "Those cherries are mine, and Jenna is not getting her grubby little hands on them."_

_"Hanna, I need to ask you something," Paige said._

_Hanna looked into Paige's eyes. They were sad, but beautiful. She'd never noticed how beautiful Paige's eyes were before. _

_"Sure," Hanna responded. _

_Paige took Hanna's hands and drew her closer. Hanna was still looking into Paige's eyes. She was mesmerized now. _

_Paige leaned in, and they kissed. It was intoxicating. Hanna's lips were pressed against Paige's lips, her tongue exploring Paige's mouth. Hanna could feel her whole body shivering. _

_She was cold._

_Paige was gone._


	7. Chapter 7

_As Paige and Hanna contemplate their feelings for each other, some very upsetting news comes out of the police investigation._

**A/N:** This chapter is a little darker than previous ones. And seriously, if you're an Ezria shipper, please for the love of Mona _don't read this_.

* * *

><p>Hanna knew her mom could tell. She tried to avoid eye contact as she ate her cereal. Any look would just give things away.<p>

After all, she had been gushing over Paige the last few days, telling her mom what a great friend Paige was, how excited Hanna was to see her, what great arms she had… Oh God, she may as well have just told her mom she wanted to get into Paige's pants.

How had she been so unaware? She was falling for Paige and hadn't even noticed. Instead she'd made a goose of herself.

"Hanna, I know you have an aversion to mornings, but usually I get at least one word out of you," Ashley observed.

"I just had a weird dream last night," Hanna responded.

"Not the one with the giant rabbit again?" Ashley asked.

"No," Hanna replied.

Hanna kept eating. She loved cocoa puffs.

"You still haven't told me what happened at school yesterday," Ashley pointed out.

"Nope," Hanna agreed.

"It was all over the news," Ashley said, sounding worried. "I mean, you knew him, he's been to this house. Did your friends think you had said something…"

"They're not my friends anymore," Hanna cut in, abruptly.

"Did they say anything?" Ashley asked. "Do anything?"

"Look, it doesn't matter," Hanna replied. "They hate me anyway."

The whole thing was so annoying. Why did they have to talk about it?

"Hanna, I'm sorry this is tough on you, but you did the right thing," Ashley said in a lame attempt to console Hanna. "You know you can talk to me, don't you?"

"Yeah," Hanna replied. She knew her mom was trying, in a mom sort of way. How could parents get it, though? They're so old.

"So why don't you?" Ashley asked.

Hanna rolled her eyes. Because she was eating her breakfast, that's why.

She put the spoon down.

"They think I told them about Aria and Ezra," Hanna explained.

"Ezra?" Ashley responded. She looked confused. "You mean Mr Fitz? What about Aria and Mr Fitz?"

Oh shit.

"They were…" Hanna began. A look of shock was taking over her mother's face. "You know."

"Mr Fitz was involved with one of his students?" Ashley asked.

She was freaking out. Shit.

"Yeah, but Aria was totally into it," Hanna explained, trying to calm her down.

"She was still his student, though," Ashley exclaimed.

This wasn't going well.

"But she wanted to…" Hanna began.

"She was still his student," Ashley interrupted. "I'm glad they arrested him. I hope they lock him up."

Hanna couldn't work out why her mom was losing it. Hanna was kind of used to it, but her mom probably needed some time. Ezra was OK, though. The thing with the cameras was kind of weird, and it was a bit annoying that Aria was always disappearing into his apartment, and maybe all that having to lie for them was a pain, but Aria loved him. You do stuff like that when you love someone.

Ashley was composing herself. Hanna knew the routine. She would look in another direction, change her face for a moment, then look back, pretending she was OK now.

"OK, now I understand," Ashley said. Hanna knew better. If she really understood she wouldn't have that look on her face. "If the others say anything, if Aria says anything, tell them it wasn't you, but that it's a good thing the police found out."

"Sure, Mom, that'll work," Hanna scoffed.

"Maybe not," Ashley agreed. "OK then, I guess you'll just have to wait it out."

"That's the plan," Hanna confirmed.

"Let me know if there's anything I can do," Ashley suggested.

"OK," Hanna agreed.

"And if you want to invite Paige around again, she's welcome anytime," Ashley added.

She knew.

* * *

><p>As she rode her bike to school, Paige's mind kept going back to Hanna. So many other things were going on, things she should be focusing on, but she couldn't help it. It was always Hanna.<p>

Maybe Caitlin was right. Maybe Hanna did, well, possibly… No, it was just wishful thinking. Hanna and Paige were friends. They had been through a lot together, and had become close. They cared about each other. But that was all it was, at least from Hanna's side. Paige knew Hanna didn't have feelings for her, not like that.

But Paige had to admit she was falling for Hanna. How could she not? Hanna was beautiful. She had a positive energy about her. She was thoughtful and caring. And there was that smile. Paige's heart raced when she saw that smile. It was like looking at actual happiness, as if it could be manifest in a radiant face, with shining eyes and dazzling teeth.

All Paige could do now was keep her feelings to herself. Telling Hanna anything would just ruin their friendship, and Paige knew they both needed that now. Paige had to be there for Hanna, not make her feel uncomfortable. Paige just had to hide what was going on inside of her.

Who was she kidding?

Did she really want to spend every day wondering whether she was passing up the opportunity to find love again? This was a chance to move on after losing the girl she thought she would love forever. Could she really not take it?

If she said nothing she would see Hanna almost every day, and go to bed at night pining for her. She would be miserable. And she would never know if it could have turned out different.

Paige arrived and dismounted, chaining her bike to the bike racks.

She took a deep breath.

She would be seeing Hanna in Spanish. Then they would go for lunch. And she would talk to Hanna then, talk about how she felt. She had no idea what she would say, but she would say something.

And then she would know.

* * *

><p>Paige could tell something was different. Usually she had to go out of her way to avoid Emily and her friends, but today they were nowhere to be seen. Emily wasn't in Biology, Spencer wasn't in Math. Paige even walked through the courtyard between classes to see if they were at their usual table, but there was no sign of anyone.<p>

And then came time for Spanish.

No Hanna.

It took a moment for Paige to realize that she felt relieved. She wouldn't have to tell Hanna anything, because Hanna wasn't there. It was just a normal, uneventful, day at school.

There was still a buzz in the corridors about Fitz, with rumors flying around about why he'd been arrested. He'd been dating a student, everyone knew that. But who? Maybe there was more than one? Had he made a video with her? Someone had told someone that the police had found a video of Fitz, his girlfriend, and two of her friends. Someone else had heard it was three.

Paige just ignored it all.

She texted Hanna, but got no response, so she ate lunch alone then went to class.

* * *

><p>Hanna was on her way to Spanish class. She was nervous because Paige would be there. She wondered if she should go to the toilet again, but she knew this was just what always happened when she was nervous. She felt like she needed to pee, but if she did it would all happen again five minutes later.<p>

There was no need to worry, anyway. It was just another class, and there was no way Paige would know that Hanna had been dreaming about her lest night, dreaming about kissing her, dreaming about…

Focus, Hanna Marin.

She would just sit next to Paige, as they always did these days, and talk about stuff, and Paige would remind her that class was on, and the teacher would glare at her, and it would be fine. Maybe Paige would be wearing one of those sleeveless tops she sometimes wore, showing off her arms. Those guns of hers, like, damn.

Hanna froze.

What if Paige did know? Like, she was gay, so she must have a gaydar. She could probably hear Hanna having gay thoughts. How did they do that, anyway? Hanna was new to all this. Maybe she should ask. No, that would be such a giveaway. She just had to not think about Paige's face, or her hot body, or her…

Hanna's phone blooped. That's what Hanna called it, the notification noise. It was, it was a bloop.

It was an SOS from Spencer. Someone had obviously got back into old habits.

She dialed.

"You sent the text to the wrong number," she said as soon as Spencer picked up. "I'm not part of the gang anymore."

"No, it's for you too," Spencer replied. "You need to come over."

That was weird.

* * *

><p>When Hanna arrived Spencer and Emily were there. They kept looking between each other, and Emily seemed to have been crying. Hanna felt so out of place here, even though it wasn't that long ago that she was part of all this. So here she was back in Spencer's kitchen and she had no idea why.<p>

Where was Aria? And Alison?

"Thanks for coming," Spencer said.

Hanna was relieved that they didn't seem to want to kill her, which was an improvement.

"What's going on?" Hanna asked. "It must be something bad if you've brought me here."

Spence nodded.

"It is," she confirmed.

Spencer could hardly speak. The old Spencer would be ordering them all around by now, but this Spencer just looked… broken.

"Well?" Hanna asked.

"I've just been with Aria at the police station," Spencer began. "It's OK, we know it wasn't you who tipped them off about Ezra now."

"I told you," Hanna pointed out.

"I know," Spencer said.

"We're sorry," Emily added.

She'd definitely been crying. Being proved right wasn't nearly as much fun as Hanna had hoped for.

"We're guess it was the Principal," Spencer explained. "The cops can't really tell us."

"So is that what he got arrested for?" Hanna asked.

"Not quite," Spencer replied. "Because Aria's not testifying they need to build a case. But they searched his apartment, then the shed where he stored his equipment, and they found some of his surveillance footage."

"Is that illegal?" Hanna asked. "I mean, it was just for safety, wasn't it?"

Spencer and Emily looked at each other again. Every time they did that Hanna just got more edgy.

"Tell me what's going on," Hanna demanded.

"There was more of it than we knew about," Emily said.

"It wasn't just trying to find A, like he claimed," Spencer added. "This morning the police were searching Aria's house."

Spencer stopped again. This was infuriating.

"Why were they searching there?" Hanna asked.

She could see Spencer swallow before answering.

"They found a camera in her room," Spencer eventually responded. "Somehow he'd hidden it in there. That's where he got some of his footage."

"What?" Hanna said. She couldn't think of anything else. She could barely think of anything.

"He's being charged with a lot of things," Spencer continued. "The cameras were illegal by themselves, but they need to determine Aria's age in the earlier footage."

Hanna was in a daze. She walked over to the couch and fell down on it like she'd just been dropped.

Ezra? He'd seemed so… he was just Ezra. He was their English teacher. He'd helped them out when they needed it. He was almost part of the gang.

"Do you need anything?" Emily asked.

"A bucket," Hanna replied.

"I know this is hard to take," Spencer said. "We only found out today too. But there's something else…"

"What?" Hanna snapped. She could feel the word coming out of her, hear it in the air. She didn't want to be angry, but she was. Her entire body was tense. If Ezra had been there in front of her she would have punched him, but he wasn't, there was only Spencer and Emily.

"It wasn't just footage of Aria," Spencer explained. "At the moment the police are over at Emily's looking for cameras. Then they'll come around here. Then…"

It was all of them. That fucking bastard.

Emily sat down next to Hanna and put her arms around her friend. Hanna responded in kind, though she was shaking now, and it was hard to hug, however much she wanted to.

"I'm sorry," Emily whispered, and the two of them cried together.


	8. Chapter 8

_As word of Ezra's activities _spreads_, the group starts to reconnect._

* * *

><p>The afternoon had been pretty intense, but Hanna had to go.<p>

She had a wet patch on her shoulder, probably from Emily crying. She hoped it was just tears, not drool or anything. Ew. She got a tissue out of her bag and started rubbing at the wet patch. After a minute or so of that she noticed that the other two were standing there, like they wanted to say something. They didn't have to wait, but whatever.

"We really are sorry," Spencer said. "For everything."

"And we're sorry we let all this come between our friendship," Emily added. "We'd like to do something about that."

"Fine," Hanna replied. "Do you have approval from your boss?"

Hanna could see both of them recoil, but it needed to be said.

"We can still be friends even if you and Ali don't agree on everything," Emily explained.

"But she is your girlfriend, right?" Hanna countered.

"She is," Emily agreed. "But you're my best friend… I mean… I hope we can be again…"

Emily looked confused. She didn't know how to work this out.

"Why don't we see how it goes?" Hanna suggested.

Emily relaxed a little and smiled. So did Spencer. But all this talk of Alison just made Hanna curious.

"Where is Ali?" Hanna asked.

"I don't know," Emily replied.

"Wait, you're her girlfriend and you don't…" Hanna stopped. The look in Emily's eyes told her she really didn't know, and Hanna could see that it was eating at her.

Emily and Spencer looked at each other. Something was going on, but at that moment Hanna didn't want to know.

"OK, then," Hanna said. "I'd better go."

"And Hanna," Emily said just as Hanna was about to turn to leave. "I'll need to talk to Paige… about all this."

Hanna started getting angry again. That creep probably had footage of Paige too.

"I'll let her know if I see her," Hanna replied.

"Thanks," Emily said.

* * *

><p>"So basically he's a sleazebag," Hanna concluded.<p>

Paige was struggling to take it all in. Ezra had always seemed a little odd to her, and she had never quite worked out why the others were all so relaxed about the relationship, but she had felt it wasn't her place to say anything. Now she regretted that immensely.

Mostly, though, it was the sadness on Hanna's face that weighed on Paige. She had been violated. They all had been.

"How are you feeling now?" Paige asked.

"How do you think?" Hanna responded. It was a little curt, and Paige was taken aback for a moment, but she could see Hanna wasn't mad at her, just frustrated.

"I guess so," was all Paige could say in reply.

"At least I'm off the hook now," Hanna said. "The others want to be friends again."

"That's great, isn't it?" Paige responded, though she wondered why she felt a little nervous at the news.

"Maybe," Hanna replied. "They're only saying that because Alison's disappeared…"

"What?" Paige interrupted.

"Not _disappeared_ disappeared," Hanna clarified. "Just gone off without telling anyone."

"Oh," Paige said. There was so much going on, she was glad in a way she was out of that.

"So, yeah, Spencer and Emily want to be BFF's again," Hanna explained. "I don't know. It would be nice to mend things, I guess, but I'm not going to go running back to them."

With that, Hanna smiled at Paige, who felt overwhelmed with relief.

Paige froze. That's what she was worried about. She was worried Hanna was going to be friends with the others again and leave her. She felt awful. That was a terrible thing to think. Hanna should be friends with the others if she wanted to. She should say that.

But while Paige was stewing over her thoughts, Hanna was just sitting there smiling. Smiling at Paige with that adorable, goofy grin she had. Paige couldn't help but smile back, then as she did she dipped her head and looked down at the floor. When she looked back up Hanna was still smiling.

It was starting to get awkward, and Paige didn't know what to do. She couldn't say anything now, it was completely the wrong time.

At that moment the doorbell rang.

Phew.

"Probably Em," Hanna said as Paige eagerly got up to answer it.

Paige opened the door. Hanna was right, it was Emily.

"Hey," Paige said.

"Hey," Emily responded.

For an instant a puzzled look flashed over Emily's face. Paige felt like Emily had walked in on… something, and Emily was clearly picking up on that. Paige told herself to act normal. That was what she had to do.

"Come in," Paige said. "Hanna's here, she's just been telling me about… everything."

Emily walked through the door somewhat tentatively, then proceeded into the living room. She and Hanna just nodded at each other. Emily smiled a little, but she looked nervous.

"Thank you," Emily said to Hanna.

"How did it go?" Hanna asked.

"There was a camera at my place too," Emily replied.

Hanna immediately stood up and went over to Emily, hugging her firmly.

"Thanks," Emily said again. "I'll need to talk to Paige."

"OK," Hanna responded.

For a moment they both stood there, looking at each other.

"Ah, in private," Emily added.

"Oh, I get it," Hanna said. She turned to Paige. "I'd better go home, I think the cops are over at my place now. I'll see you later."

"Yeah, definitely, bye," Paige responded.

Hanna headed out the door, and Paige and Emily were alone. Emily sat down across from Paige.

"You know about Ezra?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, Hanna told me," Paige replied.

"The police are going through the footage and checking people's houses, but he doesn't seem to have any at yours," Emily explained. "But he did have a camera… God, this makes me sick."

Emily was fidgeting with her sleeve, her hands shaking a little. She looked all around the room, taking in this once familiar setting.

"We can do this later if you want," Paige suggested.

"No, you need to know," Emily responded. "He had a camera in my room, so there's some footage of the two of us together. I'm sorry."

Paige knew this was coming, but it still hit hard.

"Oh, God, Em," Paige said. "Are you OK?"

"No," Emily replied. "No, I'm not."

"I'm so sorry, Em," Paige said.

Paige felt uneasy for herself, but mostly worried for the others. Emily was clearly struggling to keep her composure, having only just received the news herself.

"That fucking piece of shit," Emily muttered to herself.

"At least they'll be locking him up now," Paige said, though there seemed little comfort in that.

"Hopefully," Emily responded. "Aria can't bring herself to testify against him, but the video should be enough."

"What will they do with it?" Paige asked. "After the trial, I mean."

"Once they've used it as evidence they'll destroy it," Emily replied. "They don't think he's shared it with anyone."

Small mercies, Paige thought.

Emily suddenly sat up.

"Look, Paige, I need to go," she said.

"Sure, sure," Paige replied. "Thank you for letting me know."

Emily stood for a moment and looked around her.

"The place is nice," she said. It hadn't really changed since she had last been here. Paige guessed she was just getting nostalgic.

"Well, I might see you at school," Emily said.

She hesitated for a moment, then headed towards the door.

As she reached it, she stopped and turned to Paige, who was following behind.

"Can I ask," Emily began. "You and Hanna? Are you, I mean, is there…"

The question trailed off. Paige opened her mouth to answer, but she really didn't know what to say. There wasn't an answer right now. Maybe soon, but there were more important things going on right now.

"I'm sorry," Emily said. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"I…" Paige began, but got no further.

"It's OK," Emily assured her. "Forget I asked."

"I don't know," Paige finally answered, which was the truth. She didn't.

Emily looked at her for a moment and smiled.

"Well, good luck, I guess," Emily said. Emily gave Paige a grin, a slightly conspiratorial one. In the middle of all this bad news, it seemed strange but it meant a lot. "I just want you to be happy."

"Thanks, Em," Paige responded, her eyes welling up a little. "Really."

Emily stepped forward and they hugged. It had been a long time.

* * *

><p>Hanna was getting sick of it. The police were stomping through the Hanna's house and her mom was asking her all these stupid questions.<p>

Then she heard the call from upstairs.

"Found it!"

Great.

Hanna's mom looked worried, but Hanna just wanted to get out of there.

"I'm going," Hanna announced.

"You can't leave now," Ashley protested.

"You can tell me all about it when I get back," Hanna responded.

"Where are you going?" Ashley asked.

"To see Aria," Hanna replied and walked out.

As Hanna got in the car she tried to decide whether she should actually go and see Aria. The thought had been nagging at her ever since she found out about Fitz. The last time she had seen Aria she barely escaped with her life, but she had to put things right now.

She was going to do this. As scared a she was, she was going to see Aria.

Aria's house was only a few minutes away, so by the time she got there she still wasn't ready, but there wasn't much to do but go in.

Hanna knocked on the door. Ella answered.

"Hanna, thank you for coming over," Ella said. "She's in her room."

As Hanna went up the stairs her stomach was tying itself in knots, but she had to do this for Aria.

She knocked on the door.

There was no reply.

Should she just go in? This was awkward.

She knocked again.

"Aria, it's Hanna," she called out.

Still no reply.

Hanna opened the door a little and peered in.

The room was mostly dark, with just a lamp on. Aria was sitting on the bad, curled up and leaning against the pillow. She looked up at Hanna but said nothing.

Hanna walked over and sat beside Aria. Aria's eyes were red and her face still wet from tears. As angry as Hanna felt towards Ezra, she knew this was nothing to the confusion, pain and betrayal Aria would be feeling.

There was nothing to do but put her arms around Aria and hug her tightly. Aria leaned into Hanna but said nothing. There was nothing to say.

* * *

><p>Hanna was alone and in her room, processing the events of the day. Everything had been tidied up after the mess the police made, so she should just go to sleep, but she wanted to talk to Paige. She picked up her phone, but sat for a moment considering what to say. She looked up Paige in her contacts.<p>

"Hey Paige, it's Hanna," she began. "I hope you're OK and everything. I hope you're not too freaked out after what Emily told you. Oh, and I hope it wasn't too weird, I mean I know you haven't talked to her in a while and stuff. Give me a call if you want, or maybe we can just see each other at school again tomorrow. If it's OK with you I want to just hang out, like with you, I mean, not the others. It's great and all, but it's been you that's got me through all this, and I promise I'm not going to just run back to them now. You mean a lot to me. I know I don't say much about it, and you probably think I'm just your straight friend who would never think of you that way, but it's not like that at all. I really didn't expect this, but I care about you. I know, it was a surprise for me too, but I really do. You're an incredible person, and I think I'm kind of falling for you. I hope that's OK and I'm not freaking you out here, but after today I've started to think that maybe you feel the same way about me. I hope you do. Um, OK, see ya."

Hanna looked at her phone for a moment. She tapped Paige's number to dial. After a moment it went through to voicemail.

"Hey Paige, it's Hanna," she began. "I hope you're OK and everything. I hope you're not too freaked out after what Emily told you."

She hesitated.

"I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow," she added, then hung up.


	9. Chapter 9

_Things start to settle down, allowing Paige and Hanna to spend some time together._

**A/N:** OK, so the voicemail trick was indeed a bit mean. ;) I'll try to make it up to you all...

* * *

><p>Paige spent the whole of the rest of the week with a feeling she was supposed to be doing something. There was nothing else to be done, she knew that, but she still couldn't shake it.<p>

The police spoke to her, but they didn't tell her anything that Emily hadn't. The weird part was telling her parents.

"Ezra had some video footage of me while I was over at Emily's," she had said.

Her father looked at her, confused for a moment.

"What do you mean?" he asked, but Paige's mother just nudged him with her elbow, mercifully cutting the conversation short.

Paige didn't like having to keep it a secret, but neither did she want to be discussing the content of what Ezra had taped.

Mostly, though, it was a struggle keeping her father from marching over to the prison and demanding they execute Fitz immediately. All of the parents were probably struggling with this. A teacher had secretly videoed their children in their own houses, their own bedrooms. There was a look of helplessness on her parent's faces, like they had failed to protect her. They hadn't, but she guessed it was hard for parents to accept that there were people like this in the world, and that their own children might be vulnerable.

They all waited for news on the case, but little came. The police just said they needed time to inspect, classify and record all the evidence. This made Paige shudder. Behind the official language, she knew that this meant that someone had to watch the footage, all of it, to catalog Fitz's crimes.

So after all of the revelations of the last few days, nothing much happened for a while.

At school things were also strangely uneventful. She wasn't avoiding Emily and her friends anymore, but she wasn't hanging out with them either. In any case, Aria was still away, recovering from the shock of what had happened to her, and no one knew where Alison was.

So Paige had her own life and her own friends, which now included Hanna. While she sometimes saw Hanna talking with Spencer or Emily, in class Hanna sat with Paige, and at lunchtime it was now the five of them, Paige, Caitlin, Brian, Chelsea and Hanna.

Paige had half expected to not see Hanna as much, but even the first day after the tentative reconciliation with Spencer and Emily, Hanna had made a beeline for Paige in the cafeteria.

"Hey guys!" she announced cheerily as she sat down, placing her lunch, a suspicious looking stew, on the table in front of her.

"Hanna! How you doing?" Caitlin asked.

"Not too good," Hanna replied. "There are no chocolate-chip cookies left. It's lucky I'm hungry because I'm going to have to eat this with just that mousse for desert, and that tastes more like foam than chocolate."

"You're an inspiration to all of us," Brian observed.

"I know," Hanna said with a proud look on her face.

Hanna turned to Paige and smiled. Paige's heart melted at the sight. It was hard doing this with other people around. Acting normal took so much effort sometimes, when all she wanted to do was just kiss this beautiful girl in front of her.

She had to tell her soon. She just needed the right moment.

But in the meantime they were becoming good friends, and that meant a lot to Paige. Hanna would visit Paige after school, or invite Paige around to her house. Some nights they studied together, though Hanna would need some reminding that they were supposed to be studying.

That weekend Hanna insisted on taking Paige shopping, though her fashion suggestions weren't really in Paige's style. They went back to Hanna's house afterwards, where Hanna's mom didn't seem surprised to see Paige and invited her to stay for dinner. Somehow the conversation got on to Hanna's childhood, and Paige ended spending most of the evening being shown through old photo albums, accompanied by stories of adorable but somewhat mischievous exploits.

And as their friendship grew, Hanna started to become more… Paige could only call it affectionate. She would hold on to Paige as they talked, or touch her, or play with her hair.

For a little while Paige told herself she was just imagining it, but soon it was hard to deny. Paige dared to hope now.

* * *

><p>It was so dark Hanna could barely see. There were just a few lights to show the path, which were barely enough. Still, Hanna did her best to follow the leader, who was Brian at this stage, with Paige and Caitlin behind him, then Hanna, then Chelsea bringing up the rear.<p>

This was scary. They knew someone was after them, but they didn't know where they were.

They came up to a junction. They needed to get across, but there was no cover for the next few yards.

Brian looked around carefully, then signaled for them all to cross.

They were halfway there when they came under attack. Their opponents were on the higher path, guns propped over the side barrier, firing at will.

The others all headed for cover, but Hanna decided to fire back. Except her stupid phaser wasn't working. What was wrong with it?

"You have to put your hand under the muzzle!" Chelsea called.

Oh yeah, that was right. How did it work again?

As she puzzled over the intricacies of her weapon, she realized she'd been hit. Oh well, she just had to wait now.

"Get down, they can still shoot you," Chelsea instructed her.

"I've already been hit," Hanna pointed out.

"But they can still get points for hitting you again," Chelsea reminded her.

"Oops," Hanna said, ducking down behind the wall.

Hanna had to admit this laser tag things was kind of fun, but it seemed to involve getting shot a lot, and therefore being deactivated for extended periods of time. Being a walking target, in other words.

As Hanna cowered behind her cover, she thought how nice it had been of the others to invite her along. They did this most weeks, and had become quite good at it. This made Hanna the newbie who was basically losing it for them, but they didn't seem to mind.

Paige's friends were so nice. But then, of course they were.

On the other side of the junction, Paige and Brian had their phasers propped over the wall, firing back at the other team. Caitlin was peeking around the side of the barrier, targeting anyone who tried to enter the junction.

Hanna took a moment to appreciate Paige at full stretch. The girl was tall already, but reaching up like that, those gorgeous arms up high, her muscles still on show in the half dark… like, damn. Even as Hanna admired the view Paige turned a little, showing off her impressive shoulders, her breasts silhouetted by the neon light.

"Hanna!" Chelsea said, tapping on her shoulder. Caitlin was busily waving them over. She may have been doing this for a while.

It didn't really matter anyway, as their equipment started making weird noises at that point and telling them that the game was over.

The lights came on and everyone relaxed. They all looked a little silly in these outfits, but that was part of the fun.

"How did we go?" Hanna asked.

"OK," Paige replied unconvincingly.

Hanna could see a slight smirk on Caitlin's face as she looked at Hanna. What?

"It's mini-muffin time!" Chelsea announced.

Hanna looked from face to face. No one seemed surprised by that exclamation, so this was obviously some sort of ritual of theirs. She followed them all to drop off their equipment. After that it was back out to the cafe.

And there they were. The mini-muffins.

Chelsea practically had her face pressed against the glass at the counter, and soon Hanna joined her. There were choc-chip, banana and honey, apple and cinnamon, and about ten different kinds of berries.

"Which are the good ones?" Hanna asked.

"They all are," Chelsea replied.

Soon they were all ordering coffees and mini-muffins.

"I'll have a banana and honey, a raspberry, and a cranberry oat, please," Hanna said.

She got that feeling, like everyone was sort of laughing, except they weren't.

"Look, they're tiny!" she protested.

"Go for it," Chelsea reassured her.

They all sat down at one of the tables. Hanna was the only one with three mini-muffins, but Chelsea had two.

Hanna tried the first one.

"They're good, aren't they?" Chelsea said.

"Mmhmm," Hanna agreed, nodding as her mouth was still full. They were fantastic.

"I think this is half the reason Chels comes here," Brian said.

"Not all of us are cut out to be warriors," Caitlin countered.

"She's a woman of simple pleasures," Brian noted.

Chelsea just screwed her face up a little at him and kept chomping away happily.

"Why are they so small, though?" Hanna asked.

"It's just a thing, I guess," Paige replied.

"I could eat one of these in a single mouthful," Hanna declared.

"OK then," Brian responded. "Let's see you."

"OK," Hanna said, taking up the challenge.

Brian picked up his mini-muffin. Hanna picked up one of hers, as did Chelsea.

"Um, guys…" Paige said, but it was too late.

The three of them each shoved their mini-muffin into their mouth.

Hanna soon realized she may have underestimated the challenge. While she could fit it in her mouth, this left little room for chewing. She moved her jaw up and down a little, but to no avail. She could see the other two were having similar difficulties.

Her other problem was trying not to laugh. The three of them were looking at each other while they struggled to make any progress. Their bodies convulsing with laughter, muffled only by the baked goods plugging their mouths.

Caitlin, meanwhile, had her phone out and was busy taking photos.

Paige was just nervously looking around to see if anyone else was watching.

* * *

><p>"Did I embarrass you?" Hanna asked.<p>

"No, no," Paige reassured her. "You saw the rest of them, they had as much fun as you did."

It was evening and the mini-muffin challenge was long over. They were back at Paige's now, quietly sitting together on the couch in the living room.

"You're friends are so cool," Hanna said.

"They like you, too," Paige said. "You fit in pretty well."

Hanna started laughing again, for no apparent reason.

"I'm sorry," she said in between guffaws. "I'm just… remembering you trying to explain it to the guy who worked there."

Hanna put on a concerned voice. "_Are your friends alright_?"

Paige had been a little embarrassed, but she didn't want to admit it. But watching Hanna now, cackling away with delight, was just infectious, and soon Paige was joining in the laughter too.

As they laughed, Hanna grabbed Paige's arm, and hugged it like it was a soft toy.

Paige went quiet now, and it didn't take Hanna long to notice.

"What's up?" Hanna asked.

Paige was getting nervous.

"Nothing," Paige assured her.

"No way, I can read you like a book, McCullers," Hanna insisted. "You're stressing over something. Come on, tell me."

"I don't know…" Paige began, but trailed off.

"Don't know what?" Hanna asked.

Paige paused. Could she tell her? For an instant she pictured Hanna pulling away, recoiling at what Paige had said. She felt the pain of losing a friend, one who had come to her when they both needed each other. But Paige knew these pictures in her head weren't real. The came to her often, but she knew now to fight them.

"I don't know if I'm misreading this," Paige answered. It was a relief just to say those words. She wanted to say more, though. Her heart was racing, but she kept going. "I don't know if telling you any more will spoil our friendship, and I really don't want to do that. This has been the best thing to happen to me in a long time. And I don't know… if you feel for me… they way I feel for you."

Hanna smiled at her, both kindness and playfulness in her eyes.

"Does this answer your question?" Hanna said, then leaned in closer to Paige, until their lips were nearly touching.

Paige's heart was racing, and at that moment she realized how much she had wanted this to happen, and how long she had waited. She could barely believe it even now.

Hanna gave her a quick grin, then the distance between them was gone.

They kissed. Slowly and gently.

Paige closed her eyes and all she knew was the feeling of Hanna's lips against her own.


	10. Chapter 10

_Things start moving quickly for Paige and Hanna in their new relationship._

**A/N:** Time for this story to start earning its M rating...

PS I should mention that the reason I've been updating so frequently is that I had a little bit of a backlog when I started this account. I've written 12 parts so far, so after that updates will be a little slower.

* * *

><p>This was nice. Hanna was definitely enjoying herself.<p>

She had no idea how long they'd been kissing, but she didn't want it to stop. She and Paige were still on the couch, their arms around each other, their lips together, their tongues lazily rubbing up against each other. They had a nice rhythm going, and Hanna felt she could do this all night.

Paige just tasted so good. She had some sort of lip balm on, maybe strawberry, and her lips were soft. Maybe this was a girl thing. Maybe girls were just nicer to kiss. Paige was certainly less aggressive than any of the guys she'd kissed. Or maybe it was Paige. Maybe Paige was just a really sweet kisser.

After all the tension leading up to the moment when they kissed, it all seemed so relaxed now. Hanna was still excited, damn excited, and she'd been looking forward to this moment for a long time now. She'd been literally dreaming about it. But she was excited in a kind of mellow way. Like, she was stoked and chill at the same time.

Paige was so fricken hot, too. Like, she was gorgeous. But it was more than that. This was a big moment for Hanna, but she felt totally safe with this girl. Over the last few weeks Paige had shown that she would always be there for Hanna, care about her, protect her, and now that they had both found the courage to share their feelings for each other, Hanna had no doubts.

But most of all it felt wonderful. The tingling sensation spreading from her mouth all over her body, and the buzz from where she touched Paige, and Paige touched her. And that it was Paige. That was the really cool part. Paige was awesome.

They kept kissing. It felt like they were just getting started.

* * *

><p>It was later that night, and Hanna couldn't stop giggling.<p>

"Are you getting bashful on me?" Paige asked.

Hanna shook her head, but just giggled more.

They were sitting at the kitchen table now, Paige having made them both a mug of hot chocolate. It was great, but all Hanna could think about was their epic make out session.

"Was that a first for you?" Paige asked.

"Yeah," Hanna replied, nodding.

"Did you like it?" Paige asked.

"Fuck yeah!" Hanna replied. "I mean, yeah."

Now they were both giggling.

"I hope I'm not scaring you here, but I've been feeling this way about you for a while," Paige said.

Hanna reached out and took Paige's hand.

"Me too," Hanna said.

"I just didn't know if I should say anything, especially with all the things you've been going through," Paige added. "I wanted to make sure I could be there as your friend most of all. You deserved that. Then if it grew to more, that would be… well, it's wonderful."

"You've been the best," Hanna said. "Thank you."

They finished their hot chocolates in silence, basically just gazing at each other. Hanna was admiring Paige's eyes, her smile, and how radiant her face looked right now. Hanna hadn't been this happy in a long time.

Once they'd finished, Paige took the mugs and rinsed them out in the sink. Before she could turn around, Hanna hugged her from behind and started kissing the other girl's neck. She felt Paige shiver a little, and let out a seemingly involuntary giggle, but she didn't complain. Hanna kissed her again in the same spot, and it happened again.

Hmm. This was useful information.

Hanna kept kissing Paige, and Paige's giggle almost turned into a purr. Hanna softy brushed aside Paige's hair and kissed the back of Paige's neck. Paige tilted her head back and little, and started breathing slowly and deeply. Hanna's other hand wandered down to Paige's cute butt, which she started stroking firmly. Paige braced her hands against the sink as Hanna ran the tip of her tongue along the top of Paige's spine, from collar of her t-shirt to just below her hair.

Paige turned to face Hanna and kissed her, forcefully this time, their mouths pressed together and their tongues swiftly meeting and caressing each other. Hanna's hand instinctively move to Paige's breast, while she could feel Paige's hand squeezing her thigh, and moving around to her ass. It felt so good.

They pulled each other closer, and soon their legs were intertwined. With the rhythm of their movements, Hanna was rubbing against Paige's thigh. She could feel herself getting more and more aroused, despite being fully clothed. Hanna was straddling Paige's leg now, Paige's hand gripping Hanna's ass, roughly pulling her in. They kissed harder.

God this was so fucking hot.

She broke this kiss.

"Paige, please," she gasped.

"Is this OK?" Paige asked. "It's not too fast? We can…"

"Paige, please, _fuck me_," Hanna begged.

She'd barely spoken the words when Paige started tearing Hanna's clothes off. In an instant Hanna found herself naked, propping herself up on the kitchen table, her legs spread apart and Paige eagerly working her with her hand, a look of determination on her face.

Hanna could hear herself screaming with pleasure. This was heaven.

* * *

><p>Paige became aware of the daylight coming through the window.<p>

"Shit," she said. "Shit, shit, shit."

She looked over to the clock. It was only just after 5:30. Still time to make it.

"Hanna, wake up," she said.

"Mmmmm," Hanna quietly responded, smiling in her sleep.

They were curled up together on the couch, naked. They had fallen asleep there after the nights… activities. Hanna's head was resting on Paige's chest, a look of blissful contentment on her face.

"No, really," Paige insisted. "I've got to get to practice before class. I'm meeting some of the others there."

Hanna slowly opened her eyes.

"What? Where am I?" she asked.

Paige just kissed her.

"Oh yeah," Hanna said, a lazy smile appearing on her face as she remembered everything.

"I'm really sorry," Paige said. "I've got to get ready."

"I think you got a damn good workout last night," Hanna responded. "You sure gave me one."

"I'm not sure I could tell the coach that," Paige pointed out. "You can have a shower here too if you like."

"Nah, that's cool," Hanna replied sleepily. "I'd better get home."

Hanna slowly got up. As she did, Paige was momentarily distracted by the girl's amazing beauty. She stood for a moment, still only half awake, looking stunning. She noticed Paige staring and gave her a grin. Paige just smiled back.

They both gathered their clothes, which were scattered around the downstairs area of the house, and Hanna got dressed.

"I'm sorry," Paige said.

"You said that before," Hanna reminded her. "It's OK, If I go now I can make it before mom gets up."

Paige put her arms around Hanna and kissed her again.

"Last night was wonderful," she said.

"It was," Hanna agreed. "We should do it again some time."

"How about I take you out somewhere," Paige suggested.

"What were you thinking?" Hanna asked.

"I was thinking dinner and a movie," Paige replied. "Are you free tomorrow night?"

"I am," Hanna confirmed.

"It's a date then," Paige said.

"It is," Hanna agreed, beaming with happiness.

* * *

><p>Paige arrived early for practice, but someone else was already in the pool swimming laps. As she watched, she realized the stroke looked familiar.<p>

At the end of the lap, the girl in the pool stopped, and soon noticed Paige standing there. She waved, and Paige waved back.

The girl took her goggles off. It was her.

Paige walked over as Emily pulled herself out of the pool.

"Em!" Paige exclaimed. "You're swimming again."

"Yes," Emily replied. "The doctor says I'm good to go. I am so far behind, but I'm going to keep working on it. I think I've still got a chance for Danby, but right now I'm just enjoying being in the water again."

"That's fantastic," Paige said. "I am so happy for you."

"Thanks," Emily responded.

For a moment they just stood in silence. It had been so long since Emily had been swimming. The two if them were still together when she had to stop because of her injury. It had always seemed wrong for Emily to not be able to swim, like a waste of an amazing natural talent. Seeing her here again made the world seem a little more right.

"You must be excited," Paige observed.

"I am," Emily agreed. "And I have to say, you're looking positively glowing."

Paige felt embarrassed. Was it that obvious?

"Really?" Paige asked. She didn't quite know what to say.

"Yes," Emily replied. "Any particular reason?"

"Maybe," Paige responded coyly.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with Hanna would it?" Emily asked.

It was no use. Paige knew her grin was giving her away.

"It does," Paige confirmed. "We're… dating, I guess."

"Congratulations," Emily said. "It looks like we both have good news. You know, I've got a good feeling about this."

"It's still early days yet," Paige reminded her.

"True, but… I can see you two working really well as a couple," Emily explained. "You're both kind and caring people."

"Thanks," Paige responded. She didn't know what else to say. Emily was probably over compensating a little, but she was also sincere.

Emily picked up her bag and they both headed over to the change rooms.

"Can I ask…" Paige said. "Do you know where Ali is yet?"

Emily nodded. She looked uncomfortable now.

"We do, and she's OK," Emily replied.

"Where has she been?" Paige asked.

"I…" Emily began, then paused, concentrating intensely. "I can't really tell anyone yet. You'll know soon, but right now things are delicate and it has to be secret. She's trying to put things right, though. She really wants to do the right thing."

This was all very cryptic, but Paige knew better than to press for details. She was still worried about Emily though.

"Em, can you look me in the eye and tell me that Alison has really changed?" Paige asked.

"Yes, I can," Emily replied, and Paige could see Emily was making a point of holding her gaze. "She's not perfect, and she's still got work to do, but she's genuine, Paige. I understand that it may not look that way, and sometimes she slips back into old Ali when she's afraid, but it's all bluster. She's really trying, I promise."

Paige paused for a moment to consider this. She still thought that Emily was probably kidding herself, but she knew that she had to let go. Emily would make her own choices, and that was that. Paige couldn't stop herself from caring though.

"Em, can you just promise me one thing?" Paige asked. "I want to know that you're in love with Alison, not just doing this because you feel you have to protect her."

"I am," Emily replied. "I'm in love with her."

Emily looked as though she wanted to say more, but thought the better of it. She and Paige had reached an understanding, but there would always be limits, places the other couldn't go.

* * *

><p>Hanna snuck in just in time. She was in the shower when her mom emerged from her room, so she could casually come downstairs as if she'd been there all night.<p>

"I didn't hear you come in last night," Ashley noted.

"It was a bit late, sorry," Hanna responded. "You were already asleep and I didn't want to wake you."

Ashley looked at Hanna suspiciously, but Hanna had spent a lot of time perfecting her innocent look. She proceeded to make herself breakfast.

"Anything interesting at school today?" Ashley asked.

"Not really," Hanna replied. "It's school, what's there to be interesting?"

"OK then, are you doing anything this weekend?" Ashley asked. It was just mom small talk, but this morning things were different.

"Um, yeah," Hanna replied. Here goes, she thought. "Paige and I are going out."

She paused for a moment, waiting for her mother's response.

"What are you thinking of doing?" Ashley asked.

"We're going out for dinner," Hanna replied. "Um, together… then, like, seeing a movie."

Ashley looked at Hanna, her mouth slowly turning to a smile.

"Dinner and a movie," she repeated.

"Yeah," Hanna confirmed. "Like… on a date."

Hanna knew her mom was cool, but she was still nervous saying it.

"That's nice," Ashley said.

"I mean, not so much 'like' as… a real date," Hanna explained. "Paige asked me out and we're going on a date."

Hanna told herself she wasn't lying. The circumstances in which Paige asked her out weren't something her mother needed to know.

Ashley just smiled reassuringly.

"Uh huh," was all she said.

"And you're cool with that?" Hanna asked.

"Of course," Ashley replied. "Paige is a lovely girl."

"I mean, about me," Hanna clarified.

"Yes I am," Ashley assured her. "And thank you for trusting me."

It occurred to Hanna that she hadn't really thought about what it all meant, she had just fallen for Paige.

"Does this make me bi?" Hanna asked.

"That's up to you," Ashley replied. "Whatever you feel comfortable with, or if you don't want to label…"

"I think I'm bi," Hanna interrupted. "Yeah, I'm bi."

Hanna liked the sound of that.

"Well, if that's what you feel you are, then that's what you are," Ashley agreed. "I just want you to know that I'm proud of you."

Hanna gave her mom a hug. She was a pretty good mom sometimes.


	11. Chapter 11

_Paige and Hanna eventually go on their first date._

**A/N: **I decided a while back that Paige's mom's name is Helen, since the show has never told us.

* * *

><p>Paige could barely recognize Hanna's voice over the phone. It was raspy and nasally, and between the coughing and snuffling she could hardly speak.<p>

"I should let you get some rest," Paige suggested.

"No," Hanna insisted. "I've been stuck here all day and I'm bored. We were supposed to be going out tonight."

"Do you need some soup?" Paige asked. "I could bring you some soup."

"Mom's given me so much chicken noodle soup I'm gonna start growing feathers," Hanna replied.

"It just sounds like you're having trouble talking," Paige observed.

"I am," Hanna agreed. "You talk."

"What about?" Paige asked.

"Anything," Hanna answered.

"Um…my parents want to meet you," Paige announced. "I told them about us, and mom rather pointedly mentioned that I've met your mom, but they haven't met you. When you're better they want you to over."

"Cool," Hanna responded.

Paige tried to think of something to say, but it was hard. She wanted to avoid any subjects which might require Hanna talking too much, but it was a lot of pressure single-handedly holding up the conversation. Plus they had spoken or texted pretty much continuously since they last saw each other, which was only the previous day in any case. It wasn't like she had any news or anything.

There was silence, broken only be Hanna's snuffles. This was getting awkward.

Eventually Hanna broke the deadlock.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

Paige paused for a moment, but there it was, a constant in the back of her mind.

"The other night," she replied. "How wonderful and amazing it was."

"Yeah," Hanna agreed.

"I just… I think I've been smiling ever since," Paige added.

"Me too," Hanna responded.

"I'm thinking about you a lot," Paige said.

"What sorts of things?" Hanna asked.

"How beautiful you are," Paige replied. "How much I enjoy being around you. How lucky I am. Is that OK?"

"Sure is," Hanna confirmed. "Keep going."

"And maybe how hot you are," Paige added, lowering her voice now. "How sexy. What an infectious smile you have. How much fun you are to be around."

"Keep going," Hanna repeated.

Paige could see this might take a while.

* * *

><p>It wasn't a date, but it was still nice. Hanna was well again, and they wanted to go out, but Paige's parents were so keen to meet her that this came first.<p>

Paige prepared Hanna beforehand, letting her know the somewhat more formal rituals of a McCullers family dinner. As it turned out, though, everything went fine. Hanna waited for Paige's dad to say grace, only engaged in appropriate topics of conversation, unlike at home, and behaved impeccably.

Paige felt bad that she was so relieved at this, but Paige's parents were, well… Paige knew they wouldn't cope if she wasn't 'well mannered'. Emily had been fine, of course, but Hanna had made Paige a little nervous. Which was awful, really. Paige felt so guilty.

Hanna did drop one bombshell, however.

"So which colleges are you looking at?" Helen asked.

"There's been a few," Hanna replied. "It's probably going to be NYU or Stanford."

This got Paige's attention.

"You must be doing very well to be looking at those colleges," Nick observed.

"My favorite three letters are now 'S', 'A' and 'T'," Hanna responded cheerily.

Paige realized she was staring when Hanna gave her a grin. She'd had no idea. Paige had always thought Hanna was smarter than people gave her credit for, and she was pleased to be proven right.

Another thought was lingering in her mind, though, however much Paige tried to push it away.

"Paige is going to Stanford with her swimming scholarship," Helen mentioned.

That was the one.

"Yes, I know," Hanna responded. "She deserves it too. All that talent and hard work."

The conversation went on, with Paige trying hard not to think about how Hanna might be going to the same college as her next year.

* * *

><p>It was Friday afternoon, and Hanna was at her locker when Spencer approached.<p>

"Hanna, can you come around tonight?" Spencer asked.

"I'm busy," Hanna replied.

"It's important," Spencer countered.

"What I've got is important too," Hanna insisted. "Paige and I are going on a date, and we've had to put it off twice already, so it's happening tonight."

Spencer leaned in a little closer to Hanna.

"There's news about Ezra," she whispered. "It affects all of us."

Hanna wanted more than anything to forget all of this, but she knew she couldn't just walk away.

"Who's going to be there?" she asked.

"Just the four of us," Spencer replied.

"No Alison?" Hanna asked.

"No," Spencer confirmed.

Now Hanna was curious.

"I'll bring Paige along," she said. "If it doesn't take too long we can go out afterwards."

"No, it's only for us," Spencer responded.

"Spence, I know our feud is over but let's be real, there is no 'us' anymore," Hanna pointed out. "Now if this affects me, then it affects Paige. I'm not making the same mistake Emily did. If Paige can't come I'm just going to tell her everything afterwards, so we may as well save some time and have her there."

"Hanna, it…" Spencer began.

"Nope," Hanna cut in. "I'm not coming if she can't."

Spencer looked at Hanna for a moment, before giving up.

"OK then," she agreed. "Come around about 8:00."

* * *

><p>Paige knew she had to be there after Hanna had put her foot down, but she really did feel like something of a fifth wheel.<p>

"Does anyone want some coffee?" Spencer asked.

"I could help make it, if you like," Paige volunteered.

"No, it's fine," Spencer assured her.

"Let's just get on with it," Hanna suggested. "What's the news about Ezra?"

"Ah, first we might start with something else," Emily began. "It's time to let you know where Alison has been."

"What's that got to do with Ezra?" Hanna asked.

"Ali is going to testify against Ezra," Emily explained. "But she's got a few… issues she needs to clear up first. Cece killed a police officer and Ali helped her escape, which makes her an accessory to murder. Her dad got her a lawyer, and she's made a confession."

"Is she getting a deal for her testimony?" Hanna asked. "Defense lawyers always use that against you."

Spencer opened her mouth to protest, but seemed to think better of it.

"She isn't getting a deal," Emily replied. "But they're accepting a plea bargain because they know Wilden was corrupt, and because she's willing to implicate Cece."

"Why is she turning in Cece?" Paige asked.

"Because Cece was working for A," Spencer cut in. "Alison thought Cece was on her side, but all this time she was a double agent. Alison gave Cece her alias, and her only means of escape, then she learned that Cece was working against her."

"So she's willing to go to jail to take down Cece as well," Paige suggested.

Spencer and Emily just nodded.

"That's cool," Hanna exclaimed. Spencer, Emily and Aria glared at her, but she didn't seem to mind.

"So now we've got someone who will testify against Ezra…" Spencer began.

"Two people," Aria corrected.

They all looked at her. Spencer took her hand and held it firmly.

"We just need as much as we can on him," Emily concluded.

"It sounds like you've got a lot," Paige observed.

"There are things we suspect about Ezra that we can't prove," Spencer said. "I've been doing some digging."

"What did you find?" Hanna asked.

"Ezra knew Bethany Young," Spencer replied. "When he was still getting his certificate he did a placement at her school. She was in one of his classes. She was 14."

There was silence in the room. Paige felt sick.

"Like I said, we can't prove anything yet," Spencer continued.

"But you think she might have been another one of his girlfriends," Hanna said.

"One who ended up in Radley," Emily noted.

"Then ended up dead," Spencer added.

As if all this wasn't bad enough, another thought occurred to Paige.

"Wait, guys, are you still hearing anything from A?" she asked.

Spencer, Aria and Emily all shook their heads.

"Not since just after Hanna went to the police," Emily replied.

"You mean, not since Ezra was arrested," Paige pointed out.

Emily nodded.

"But Ezra was with us when A blew up Jenna's house," Hanna pointed out.

"Maybe he had someone helping him," Spencer suggested. "Someone who is keen to keep a low profile now."

The room was silent again. It was a lot to take in.

* * *

><p>After they left Spencer's that night, Paige and Hanna both went home. They were in too sombre a mood for anything else. But over the next few days they started to pick up, and Paige was determined that they would go on their date. She made the booking for Friday night. Hopefully it would be third time lucky.<p>

* * *

><p>Horror movies just weren't as much fun these days, Hanna decided. Like, the ones on the TV at Halloween, or those cheesy old ones Emily would watch, they were cool. They were scary, but you kind of laughed too. The ones these days were like endurance tests, to see how much gore you could take.<p>

The night had been going so well, too. Having found a night together free from illness, intrigue or families, Hanna and Paige went to the new Thai place in Rosewood and had a lovely dinner.

Then they headed off to the cinema, but arrived too late for the comedy they were going to see, so they chose another film. Paige had heard good things about it, they just weren't sure what it was about. Big mistake.

It had been OK for a while, but now they were sitting in the back, trying to have a romantic evening while cowering in their seats. Hanna turned her eyes to the screen for a moment, something she had been avoiding.

What? No! Gross.

She shielded her eyes.

"Do you want to go?" Paige whispered.

Without even replying Hanna grabbed Paige's hand and dragged her along the row and out the door.

Standing in the foyer, Hanna finally had some respite, though the screams from inside were still coming through loud and clear.

"I'm so sorry, I thought it was an art film," Paige pleaded.

"No, I'm sorry," Hanna responded. "My stomach's just not strong enough."

"What do you want to do now?" Paige asked.

Paige looked crestfallen. Hanna understood why. After all this effort to finally go on their first real date, it was sad to give up now.

Hanna looked around.

A ha!

"What?" Paige asked, obviously noticing Hanna's sudden change in demeanor.

Hanna pointed to the open door opposite. They walked across and peered in. It was an empty cinema, having already finished its last screening for the night.

"You mean…?" Paige began.

Hanna nodded and led her in.

It was quiet, and there was no one else in sight. They sat down in the middle of the back row, in one of the "lovers' seats" without an armrest between. It was perfect.

"Now, where were we?" Hanna asked as they started kissing again.

This was better. Who needs a stupid movie? They kissed passionately, spurred on a little by the knowledge that they really shouldn't be there. Hanna let her hand move down to Paige's leg, then slowly stroke the inside of her thigh. This was hot. Paige had both hands on Hanna's face, and was kissing her like she wanted to swallow her whole.

Footsteps.

Shit!

They both sat bolt upright.

One of the ushers was there, though he took a while to notice them. He shone his torch down the aisle, seemingly checking the floor, and it was only as he turned back that he saw the two interlopers.

"Sorry…" Paige began.

"We were just in the other…" Hanna added.

"It was a bit…" Paige continued.

"Scary," Hanna concluded.

"Loud," Paige countered.

The usher seemed a little stunned.

"Ah," he responded.

They stared at each other for a moment.

"Is the floor clean there?" he asked eventually.

They both looked down.

"Yes, yes it is," Paige responded.

"I'll go now," he said. As he went to leave, he turned back to them. "I've got to lock up in about half an hour."

Then he disappeared.

"Half an hour," Paige repeated.

"Sounds good," Hanna said.

They resumed kissing, but soon Hanna had an idea. She tried to push it out of her mind. _They couldn't. Not here. _She kept kissing, enjoying the feel of Paige's beautiful sweet lips, but the thought kept nagging at her. She tried to stop thinking about it. _There were people around. Someone might walk in._

Her pulse started to race. She kissed Paige harder, her hand moving under Paige's skirt, enjoying the warm feeling of Paige's skin. _Just keep kissing. Stop thinking about it._ But the more she thought about what they shouldn't do, the more enticing it became.

She broke the kiss.

Hanna looked around, though she knew full well they were alone.

"Dare me to go down on you," she whispered in Paige's ear. "I want to. Right here."

Paige's mouth fell open.

Hanna just held her gaze, willing her to issue the challenge. Paige took a moment to get over the shock. She went to speak, but then started to smile. This time it was her turn to look around the room, which they both knew was empty.

"I dare you to go down on me," Paige responded, her voice slightly shaky.

It had been Hanna's idea, but now she was nervous. She had only done this once before, but she loved it, and doing it here was making it even more exciting.

She dropped to her knees on the floor. She pushed up Paige's skirt and pulled down her panties.

She paused for a moment. Her heart was pounding. She was actually going to do this.

"Hurry up," Paige whispered nervously.

Hanna buried her face between Paige's thighs. Paige has one hand over her own mouth, trying to keep quiet, while the other hand was on the back of Hanna's head, pushing her in nearer. _OK, girl, if that's what you want._

Whether it was fear or excitement, Hanna was so worked up now, and Paige was going to feel that. All of it.


	12. Chapter 12

_Paige and Hanna get to spend some time together._

**A/N: **This is basically just a piece of fluff, because I think they deserve it.

Like I said, things will slow down a little after this chapter. I'll probably take a break for about a week. The story is currently half way through, so there will be plenty more drama, romance, fluff and awkwardness to come.

* * *

><p>"You lesbians," Caitlin said with mock exasperation. "You've only been together a few weeks and already you're planning to u-haul."<p>

"We're not planning anything," Paige protested. "I only just found out…"

"Relax babe, I was joking," Caitlin interrupted.

Paige stopped for a moment. Normally she'd just go with the joke, but this one might have hit a bit of a nerve. She took Caitlin's advice and tried to relax.

They were at Caitlin's house, sitting out the back and catching up on each other's lives. Of all Paige's friends, Caitlin was probably the one she was closest to. Brian and Chelsea were really great, but Caitlin was the person who knew everything about Paige. When Paige came out, Caitlin was the first person she told, besides Emily. It turned out to be a lot easier than telling her parents, of course, but it was a relief on its own. Having to keep secrets from her best friend had been almost unbearable.

"It's so weird though," Paige continued. "We haven't even talked about it. I congratulated her on doing so well, but it's just too much even thinking about this yet."

"But it's an option," Caitlin pointed out. "You don't have to commit to living together and getting nine cats yet, but at the same time you know you won't have to break up just because she's too far away."

"Yeah," Paige agreed.

"I mean, you could start with three cats and see how it goes," Caitlin added.

"I'm actually more of a dog person," Paige pointed out.

"Is that allowed?" Caitlin asked.

"Yes, I checked the official lesbian stereotype guide," Paige replied. "Sporty lesbians are allowed to have pet dogs, so long as they go running with them."

"That's OK then," Caitlin conceded. "Can I be your arty straight friend who thinks she knows it all and makes inappropriate remarks?"

"Absolutely," Paige agreed. "You'd be perfect."

Through everything Paige had been through, the constant was her friends. Even when they didn't know what Paige was struggling with, they knew she was struggling, and they had supported her as best they could.

"So, in short, things are going well, but you're not quite ready to move in together yet," Caitlin concluded.

"Pretty much," Paige agreed.

"Give it a week," Caitlin teased.

"You always push it, don't you?" Paige countered.

"Not always," Caitlin protested. "Mostly, but not always. Anyway, how was your date? Did you make out the whole time?"

"The date was good, but we picked the wrong movie," Page explained. "We had to leave early, Hanna couldn't cope."

"Ah, so I bet you had to comfort her and make her feel better," Caitlin suggested. "That must have been a burden."

"Something like that," Paige replied.

"Well I hope you didn't just go home," Caitlin said.

"No," Paige replied, realizing she didn't quite know how to end this story.

"So what did you do?" Caitlin asked.

"We, um…" Paige began. Nope, she didn't have anywhere to go.

"Did you spend the rest of the night kissing in the car?" Caitlin asked.

"No," Paige replied.

"Did you go out for a coffee?" Caitlin asked.

"No," Paige replied again.

"So you…" Caitlin prompted.

"We went to another cinema," Paige replied, honestly.

"So you saw a different film?" Caitlin asked.

"No," Paige replied once more.

"You went to another cinema, but not another film," Caitlin summarized.

"Yeah," Paige confirmed.

Caitlin's mouth fell open.

"Oh my God, you snuck into an empty cinema for a hot make out session," she deduced. "Paige McCullers, I am impressed."

Paige just nodded, staring at the floor with a smile on her face.

"Wait, I know that look," Caitlin continued. "You… wait… you did, didn't you? You totally had sex. The two of you fucked right there in the cinema. Jesus H Christ on a bike, I think that calls for a high five."

Caitlin held up her hand, and Paige lazily swatted at it.

"Like I sad, you always push it," Paige reminded her.

"And that's why you love me," Caitlin responded with an impish grin.

* * *

><p>Paige and Hanna laid their blanket out on the grass. They had picked a spot close to the waterfall, but not quite so close that they got hit with the spray. Still, there was a fine mist in the air, and on an overcast day like this, this place felt even more cut off from the rest of the world.<p>

They took a moment to watch the water gracefully descending. It was hypnotic. Right now, all Paige knew was the trees surrounding them, the rockface framing the small but elegant waterfall, the pond which it poured into, and the girl she was sharing this beautiful scene with.

"It's beautiful," Hanna said.

"Worth a three hour walk?" Paige asked.

"Yeah," Hanna agreed.

Hanna seemed quite low key, her responses quiet and considered for her. Paige started to get nervous. Usually when Hanna liked something, she was a little more enthusiastic.

Paige looked over at her girlfriend.

She was just staring up at the water, like Paige herself had been a moment ago.

Hanna turned to Paige.

"It wasn't to far?" Paige asked, needing more confirmation.

Hanna walked over to Paige and put her arms around her.

"That's the point isn't it," Hanna said. "Go somewhere away from everything. Somewhere quiet, beautiful, with just the two of us. You're very romantic, McCullers."

Hanna wasn't usually this philosophical, but Paige liked it.

They kissed.

"Now, let's get out the food, or I'm gonna eat that blanket," Hanna announced.

That was more like the Hanna Paige knew, but either way she was adorable.

They sat down and unpacked their lunch. It had been too far to carry a picnic basket, but they had all the necessities in any case, wrapped up in their backpacks. They got out the plates, cups, bread, cheese, meats, salad and drink and lay them out. Soon they were enjoying a tasty lunch.

"Are you going to show me what's in that other container?" Paige asked.

"No," Hanna replied, smiling and clearly enjoying keeping her secret. When they were packing, Paige had noticed a green tupperware container in Hanna's backpack which she had refused to reveal the contents of.

They ate, chatting about the hike to get here, and swapping stories about memories of arduous treks in their earlier years. Mostly these came down to blisters and mosquitoes. Paige knew she shouldn't be surprised, but she still found it a little unexpected how at home Hanna seemed in the woods like this.

After a while they had finished their lunch.

"OK, time for your surprise!" Hanna announced.

She took the mysterious green container out.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"I'm ready," Paige confirmed.

"OK then," Hanna said. "Wait, I know, close your eyes."

Paige closed her eyes as instructed. She heard the sound of Hanna taking the lid off.

"OK, open them," Hanna said.

In front of her was a large cupcake, with slightly messed up frosting but still looking delicious. Hanna has one of her own as well.

"I decided I didn't care how far we were going, I wanted a cupcake with my lunch," Hanna explained.

Paige was smiling with delight. It was a lovely touch, and so Hanna.

"What flavor is it?" Paige asked.

"Coconut," Hanna replied.

Of course it was.

"Did Emily suggest that?" Paige asked.

"No, Jenna," Hanna replied. "She was at Leon's when I was getting them. Her and Sydney."

Paige couldn't help but enjoy the irony, however embarrassing the memories may have been.

And it was a damn good cupcake.

After they had eaten they cleaned up, then they lay, arm in arm, looking up at the sky.

Paige loved this spot. Not just that it was so picturesque, but also that it was secluded and remote. There was hardly ever anyone else here. Paige had visited this place regularly, and at the worst times it was here she would come when she needed to be alone, and remind herself that there was a world outside of Rosewood, one that was beautiful, one that was safe.

"Let's go for a swim," Hanna suggested.

Paige was about to say that neither of them had brought a swimsuit, but the look on Hanna's face told her that wouldn't be a problem.

"Sounds fun," Paige responded.

They both got up, and in a minute they had stripped off and were charging into the water. It was cold, enough to make Paige gasp, but she didn't care. As she looked at Hanna, laughing and looking breathtakingly beautiful, she really didn't care about anything else.

They swam, they splashed. Paige chased after Hanna and caught her fairly easily, but Hanna didn't mind. Soon it was too cold, though, and they pulled themselves out of the water.

They looked around.

"We don't actually have anything to dry ourselves with, do we?" Paige asked.

"Nope," Hanna confirmed.

Oh well, it was a mild afternoon. They would dry off in time.

Paige sat down on the blanket and invited Hanna to join her. Soon they were laying side by side again, this time naked, with drops of water sparkling on Hanna's beautiful skin.

"I feel so free right now," Hanna said.

"Me too," Paige agreed, and kissed her.

They drew in close, kissing slowly, their mouths together, their tongues gently stroking each other. The feeling of Hanna's still damp skin against her own was intoxicating. Paige's hand moved down Hanna's back to her gorgeous ass, and as if by reflex Hanna opened her legs a little and wrapped them around Paige's thigh.

Paige started to kiss Hanna's neck, then kept moving down.

"Did I ever tell you that you have the most amazing breasts?" Paige asked.

"Yeah?" Hanna responded.

"Yeah," Paige confirmed. And they were. They were glorious.

Paige kissed Hanna's right breast, slowly running her tongue in circles around the nipple. Hanna shivered a little. Paige drew the nipple into her mouth and gently sucked. She could hear Hanna's breathing quicken. Paige moved to the other breast, lavishing attention on it now. Hanna let her head fall back and sighed with pleasure. Paige switched back again, alternately licking and sucking, all the time listening to Hanna's quiet moans of pleasure.

Paige decided it was time to up the ante. Still pleasuring Hanna's breasts with her mouth, Paige let her hand wander down Hanna's stomach to between the other girl's legs. She ran her fingers through Hanna's pubic hair, then found that beautiful, sweet wet spot.

She began to lightly, smoothly massage Hanna's clit. She did it slowly at first, then quickened the pace. She could feel Hanna's body tensing up. Paige pushed Hanna harder, and as Hanna's panting became louder, Paige pushed her fingers inside her lover.

Hanna gasped and grabbed Paige's hair. It hurt a little, but Paige didn't stop. She could feel her fingers being squeezed, but Hanna was so wonderfully wet they still slipped in and out easily.

Paige went faster and faster.

Hanna shrieked and her body bucked.

"Fuuuuuuuucckkkkk!" she cried out, thrashing around while Paige struggled to hold on.

It seemed to last an eternity. Paige could feel the energy flowing through Hanna's body. It was beautiful.

* * *

><p>It was karaoke night at Brian's and Hanna was excited. This was a regular event for Paige's friends, but this particular night was Hanna's first go.<p>

"OK, Hanna," Caitlin said as she programmed the machine. "We have a traditional song that we always start with, and everyone joins in."

Soon "Party in the USA" came up on the TV.

There were two mics to go around, and they were sometimes shared, sometimes fought over, but everyone sang along. Hanna was hyped.

Chelsea wanted to go next, but she dragged Paige and Caitlin in as well, because she had some new Destiny's Child songs programmed, so she needed some helpers. Chelsea was Beyonce, of course.

They started with "Say My Name", and Hanna was just loving watching Paige dance. With the music on, she got a whole lot wilder, and it was really hot. They followed with "Bootylicious", and Hanna was even more excited. Her girl had some serious moves.

At the end of the song Hanna clapped and cheered. Paige sat down beside her, and Hanna gave her an enthusiastic kiss.

"Come on you two," Caitlin said. "You're not at the movies now."

Paige buried her face in her hands.

"You told them?" Hanna asked. "That's so cool. I thought you'd be too much of a prude."

Paige peeked out from behind her fingers.

"A what?" she asked.

Hanna rather wished she hadn't said that.

"I mean, not a prude, but I just didn't think you'd be telling your friends, that's all," Hanna explained. "I mean, it's great, you should be proud. Not everyone has had sex in a cinema."

Chelsea and Brian were staring at her, while Caitlin was too busy laughing.

"I actually didn't tell anyone," Paige clarified. "Caitlin guessed, and the other two… know now."

"Oops," Hanna responded.

Paige was blushing though, which was always adorable. And Hanna meant it, she should be proud. It was awesome.

"No need to stop," Brian said.

"It was so much fun," Hanna continued. "Paige actually used the…"

"Hanna!" Paige snapped.

"What?" Hanna asked. "I'm just saying, before that night I had _never_…"

Paige looked at her, pleading for her to stop. It was a good story, but to keep going with Paige looking at her like that would be like hurting a puppy.

"OK," she said.

Hanna gave Paige a grin, and Paige's face softened from alarmed, through slightly miffed, to relieved.

Hanna gave Paige a quick kiss.

They were good.

Anyway, there was singing to be done.

"My turn! My turn!" Hanna exclaimed eagerly.

Chelsea handed her the mic, which doubled as the control, and Hanna went through the song list, until she found what she wanted. Perfect.

The music started, and Hanna turned to the others. She didn't need to follow the lyrics on screen, as she knew them by heart.

"_You're insecure_," Hanna sang. "_Don't know what for. You're turning heads when you walk through the do-o-or_."

Hanna had never had a problem with having an audience. She bounced around as she sang, and was having a ball.

"_Don't need make-up, to cover up,_" Hanna sang. She always thought that line was a bit dumb. Like, what's wrong with make-up. It's fun. But it was just a song. "_Being the way that you are is eno-o-ugh._"

Hanna waved to Paige to come over. Paige hesitated, but Hanna grabbed her hand and got her to stand up.

"_Everyone else in the room can see it, everyone else but you._"

Paige was looking confused, but Hanna just wanted to sing to her.

"_Baby you light up my world like nobody else_," Hanna was belting it out now, her eyes fixed on Paige. "_The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed…_"

Hanna kept singing, the entire rest of the song performed just to Paige, who was standing there smiling adorably.

"_That's what makes you beautiful!_"

As the song finished, and Hanna had delivered her final line, she wrapped her arms around Paige and kissed her. She knew everyone was watching, but she didn't care, and anyway, they just cheered and hooted and whistled their approval.

Hanna was just so glad to be with Paige, and she wanted everyone to know. Everyone, especially Paige, and from the beaming smile on Paige's face after that kiss, she knew.


End file.
